censor

 
Pronunciation: /ˈsɛnsə/

noun

  • 1an official who examines books, films, news, etc. that are about to be published and suppresses any parts that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security: the report was approved by the military censors the movie has been given an adults-only rating by film censors
  • Psychoanalysis an aspect of the superego which is said to prevent certain ideas and memories from emerging into consciousness.
    [from a mistranslation of German Zensur 'censorship', coined by Freud]
  • 2(in ancient Rome) either of two magistrates who held censuses and supervised public morals.

verb

[with object]
  • examine (a book, film, etc.) officially and suppress unacceptable parts of it: the report had been censored ‘in the national interest’ the letters she received were censored

Derivatives

censorial

Pronunciation: /-ˈsɔːrɪəl/
adjective

censorship

noun

Origin:

mid 16th century (in censor (sense 2 of the noun)): from Latin, from censere 'assess'

For an explanation of the difference between censor and censure, see censure (usage).