census
Americannoun
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an official enumeration of the population, with details as to age, sex or gender, occupation, etc.
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(in ancient Rome) the registration of citizens and their property, for purposes of taxation.
verb (used with object)
noun
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an official periodic count of a population including such information as sex, age, occupation, etc
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any offical count
a traffic census
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(in ancient Rome) a registration of the population and a property evaluation for purposes of taxation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of census
First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin: “a listing and property assessment of citizens,” equivalent to cēns(ēre) “to assess, register (citizens) in a census” + -tus suffix of verb action; for -s- in place of -st- see censor
Explanation
If you live in the U.S., every ten years you'll participate in a census, a process for counting people. The information collected is used to plan for schools, transportation, social services people will need, and also for determining congressional districts. On the census form you’ll be asked how many people live in your house, their ages, and ethnic and racial backgrounds. With this, the government can plan facilities and also track population trends — whether cities are growing or shrinking, what ethnic groups make up our population, and where they live. We get the word and the idea from the Romans, who registered citizens and their property so they could be taxed. The first U.S. census was held in 1790.
Vocabulary lists containing census
Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting
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The Constitution of the United States
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Human Geography - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A notable milestone was quietly reached, according to the April construction-spending report released by the Census Bureau on Monday: construction spending on data centers has overtaken public spending on transportation.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
U.S. construction spending accelerated in April, according to the latest monthly numbers from the Census Bureau published Monday morning.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
The Trustees also may update their long-term forecast and fertility expectations in the new report, but it’s unclear whether they will adhere to the CBO and Census Bureau forecasts, Boccia said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
By contrast, according to the Census figures, barely 1% of a Sunderland population approaching 300,000 in 1981 was of African-Caribbean origin.
From BBC • May 27, 2026
Under the usual-residence rule, the Census Bureau counts imprisoned individuals as residents of the jurisdiction in which they are incarcerated.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
