censorship

[sen-ser-ship]

noun

1. the act or practice of censoring.

2. the office or power of a censor.

3. the time during which a censor holds office.

4. the inhibiting and distorting activity of the Freudian censor.

censorship

/ ˈsɛnsəˌʃɪp /

noun

1. a policy or programme of censoring

2. the act or system of censoring

3. psychoanal the activity of the mind in regulating impulses, etc, from the unconscious so that they are modified before reaching the conscious mind

Other Word Forms

• anticensorship adjective
• precensorship noun
• procensorship adjective
• self-censorship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of censorship¹

First recorded in 1585–95; censor + -ship

Example Sentences

The 42-year-old is known for his satirical songs and music videos about taboo topics in Malaysia, from obscenity to religion to China's censorship.

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She added: "Given the censorship Hallam has seemingly engaged in, it now needs to set out how it will ensure its academics will be supported to research freely and protected from overreach by foreign powers."

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But alongside its economic growth, the country has high levels of political censorship and a poor record on human rights.

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Socialists, anarchists, pacifists and other perceived radicals were also under tremendous stress from the aforementioned government campaign of persecution and censorship, including the infamous Espionage Act.

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Critics and First Amendment advocates had railed against ABC's decision as censorship and a violation of free speech.

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Related Words

• ban 
• blackout 
• restriction 
• suppression