censure

[sen-sher]

noun

1. strong or vehement expression of disapproval.

   The newspapers were unanimous in their censure of the tax proposal.

   Synonyms: animadversion, stricture, reprimand, rebuke, reprehension, reproach, reproof, condemnation
   Antonyms: praise

2. an official reprimand, as by a legislative body of one of its members.

   Antonyms: praise

verb (used with object)

censured, censuring 

1. to criticize or reproach in a harsh or vehement manner.

   She is more to be pitied than censured.

   Synonyms: chide, rebuke, reprove
   Antonyms: praise

verb (used without object)

censured, censuring 

1. to give censure, adverse criticism, disapproval, or blame.

censure

/ ˈsɛnʃə /

noun

1. severe disapproval; harsh criticism

verb

1. to criticize (someone or something) severely; condemn

Other Word Forms

• censurer noun
• censureless adjective
• miscensure verb
• precensure verb (used with object)
• procensure adjective
• supercensure noun
• uncensured adjective
• uncensuring adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of censure¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin cēnsūra censor's office, assessment, equivalent to cēns ( us ) past participle of cēnsēre ( censor ) + -ūra -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of censure¹

C14: from Latin cēnsūra, from cēnsēre to consider, assess

Synonym Study

See abuse. See blame, reprimand.

Example Sentences

Party leader Olivier Faure said that he would have no compunction about supporting a new vote of censure, if offending parts of the budget are not removed.

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They subsequently won back their seats in special elections, while a third legislator, state Rep. Gloria Johnson, was censured but not expelled.

Read more on Salon

Opposition parties on the far right and far left have called confidence votes, known as "censure" votes on Lecornu's government, for Thursday morning and are demanding parliamentary elections.

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McCarthyism is remembered so well because it was finally extinguished by the mainstream: Congress censured McCarthy, and Eisenhower criticized him.

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FBI agents at field offices and at headquarters who resisted Gray’s power were censured, fired or transferred.

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Related Words

• admonish 
• berate 
• castigate 
• chastise 
• chide 
• denounce 
• discipline 
• rebuff 
• rebuke 
• reprimand 
• reproach 
• scold 

When To Use

What does censure mean?

Censure is passionate or intense criticism, as in Many countries were united in their censure of the nation responsible for the nuclear disaster. Censure can also refer to an official condemnation or reprimand, especially by a legislative body to one of its members, as in The lawyer’s terrible conduct earned him a censure from the judge. As a verb, censure means to intensely and harshly criticize something, as in The governor was censured by the media for his incredibly poor handling of the state’s hurricane response.   Censure could be confused with the similarly spelled words censer, censor, and sensor. A censer is a container that holds burning incense. A censor is a person who looks for unacceptable or immoral material in media or creative works. A sensor is a device that sends a signal in reaction to environmental conditions.Example: The musician faced intense censure from other artists after stealing melodies and their career never recovered from the backlash.