censure

1 of 2

noun

cen·​sure ˈsen(t)-shər How to pronounce censure (audio)
Synonyms of censurenext
1
: a judgment involving condemnation
unorthodox practices awaiting the censure of the city council
2
: the act of blaming or condemning sternly
The country faces international censure for its alleged involvement in the assassination.
3
: an official reprimand
The lawyer's misconduct resulted in a letter of censure from the judge.
4
archaic : opinion, judgment

censure

2 of 2

verb

censured; censuring ˈsen(t)-sh(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce censure (audio)

transitive verb

1
a
: to find fault with and criticize as blameworthy
She would tell him it was … no sign of a good pastor to be eternally censuring his flock.—Charlotte Brontë
b
: to formally reprimand (someone) : to express official censure of (someone)
While a vote to censure the president has no legal ramifications, it is a significant and rare symbolic vote of disapproval.—Emma Loop
2
obsolete : estimate, judge
censurer
ˈsen(t)-shər-ər How to pronounce censure (audio)
noun

Did you know?

Censure Has an Offical Connotation

If you’re among those who confuse censure and censor, we don’t blame you. The two words are notably similar in spelling and pronunciation, and both typically imply acts of authority. It’s no surprise that they share a common ancestor: the Latin cēnsēre, meaning “to give as an opinion.” But here’s the uncensored truth: despite the similarities, censure and censor are wholly distinct in meaning. Censure means “to fault or reprimand,” often in an official way; censor means “to suppress or delete as objectionable.” So if you’re talking about removing objectionable content from a book or banning it from a library, the word you want is censor. And you can use censure to talk about criticizing, condemning, or reprimanding those pushing for censorship.

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for censure

criticize, reprehend, censure, reprobate, condemn, denounce mean to find fault with openly.

criticize implies finding fault especially with methods or policies or intentions.

criticized the police for using violence

reprehend implies both criticism and severe rebuking.

reprehends the self-centeredness of today's students

censure carries a strong suggestion of authority and of reprimanding.

a Senator formally censured by his peers

reprobate implies strong disapproval or firm refusal to sanction.

reprobated his son's unconventional lifestyle

condemn usually suggests an unqualified and final unfavorable judgment.

condemned the government's racial policies

denounce adds to condemn the implication of a public declaration.

a pastoral letter denouncing abortion

Examples of censure in a Sentence

Noun The country faces international censure for its alleged involvement in the assassination. a rare censure of a senator by the full United States Senate for misconduct Verb He was censured by the committee for his failure to report the problem. a vote to censure the President for conduct that was unbecoming to his office
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In reality, Arthur Watkins, this conservative Republican senator from Utah, chaired the censure committee and then was destroyed for it. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 13 June 2024 In 2018, the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate also stalled the promotion of Neom as Crown Prince Mohammed faced global censure and scrutiny over the incident. —Angela Yang, NBC News, 25 Sep. 2024
Verb
Paxton, like Cruz, was an early and ardent supporter of the lie that Trump won the 2020 election — claims that the attorney general took to the Supreme Court, and for which the State Bar of Texas is seeking to censure him. —Saul Elbein, The Hill, 3 Nov. 2024 Colorado keeps complaints and any resulting discipline confidential, except in rare cases in which a judge is publicly censured or removed by the state Supreme Court. —Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for censure 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French censure, borrowed from Latin cēnsūa "office of censor, assessment, moral oversight," from cēnsēre "to give as an opinion, perform the duties of a censor" + -ūra -ure — more at censor entry 1

Verb

derivative of censure entry 1, probably after Middle French censurer

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of censure was in the 14th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near censure

censurable

censure

censureless

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Censure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censure. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

censure

1 of 2 noun
cen·​sure ˈsen-chər How to pronounce censure (audio)
1
: the act of blaming or condemning sternly
2
: an official expression of disapproval

censure

2 of 2 verb
censured; censuring ˈsench-(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce censure (audio)
1
: to find fault with
2
: to express formal disapproval of
censured the senator for misconduct
censurable
ˈsench-(ə-)rə-bəl
adjective
censurer
ˈsen-chər-ər How to pronounce censure (audio)
noun

Legal Definition

censure

noun
cen·​sure ˈsen-chər How to pronounce censure (audio)
: an expression of official disapproval
a House resolution approving a censure of the representative
censure transitive verb

More from Merriam-Webster on censure

Nglish: Translation of censure for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of censure for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...