Charlotte BrontëEmma Loop
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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
Examples of censure in a Sentence
Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 13 June 2024
Of the lawmakers who survived the primary despite their party’s censure of their library vote, about half were from East Idaho.
—Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 4 June 2024
The Arizona Republic, 10 June 2024
The body that represents USC’s faculty voted on Wednesday to censure the university’s president, Carol Folt, and provost, Andrew Guzman, citing both leaders’ mishandling of events around commencement.
—Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for censure 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'censure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Censure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censure. Accessed 24 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
censure
1 of 2 noun
censure
2 of 2 verb
Legal Definition
censure
noun
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