censure
Americannoun
-
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
-
an official reprimand, as by a legislative body of one of its members.
- Antonyms:
- praise
verb (used with object)
-
censures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
censured,
past participle, past
-
censuring
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
censures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
censured,
past participle, past
-
censuring
present participle
noun
verb
Usage
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.
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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censurernoun
-
supercensurenoun
-
miscensureverb
-
precensureverb (used with object)
-
censurelessadjective
-
procensureadjective
-
uncensuredadjective
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uncensuringadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
censuresimple
-
censuressimple
-
have censuredperfect
-
has censuredperfect
-
am censuringprogressive
-
are censuringprogressive
-
is censuringprogressive
-
have been censuringperfect progressive
-
has been censuringperfect progressive
Past
-
censuredsimple
-
had censuredperfect
-
was censuringprogressive
-
were censuringprogressive
-
had been censuringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of censure
1350–1400; Middle English < Latin cēnsūra censor's office, assessment, equivalent to cēns ( us ) past participle of cēnsēre ( see censor) + -ūra -ure
Explanation
Censure is a noun referring to very strong criticism; the verb means to criticize very strongly. If you take your dad's car without telling him, you can expect him to censure you severely, and maybe even ground you as well. The noun and verb are most closely associated with official expressions of disapproval, as when Congress censures a senator. The noun is from Latin cēnsūra, "censorship," from cēnsor, "an ancient Roman censor." The job of a Roman censor was to take the census and to supervise public morals and behavior. Our English word censor — which means to suppress speech or other forms of expression — is from this Latin word.
Vocabulary lists containing censure
Grade 11, List 1
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Animal Farm
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Othello
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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.
See Examples For:
The community services district board in September voted to censure Unger, claiming his “malicious accusations” had put Matson’s family at risk, according to meeting minutes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
I don’t think anyone can, or should, draw a straight medical line from a Communist Party censure to a cancer diagnosis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
While Pastef's majority in the National Assembly can censure the government, in the event of a deadlock the president can resort to "exceptional powers" to govern by decree for three months, noted Diallo.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Fine has not appeared fearful of censure or any loss of his committee assignments.
From Salon ● Feb. 18, 2026
He was warm in his reprobation of Mr. Elton’s conduct; it had been unpardonable rudeness; and Mrs. Elton’s looks also received the due share of censure.
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
"These censures are deemed necessary, notwithstanding the fact that he continues to deny the allegations against him," the statement continued.
From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2025
It still demands collusion, censures dissent, confuses the exertion of power with the protest against it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2023
Gorsuch said that Congress has been censuring members since the 19th century and that “elected bodies in this country issued no fewer than 20 censures in August 2020 alone.”
From Washington Post ● Mar. 24, 2022
He said he generally also does not favor censures.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 4, 2022
He was liberal in his censures on the measure of drawing the bills in question on Spain.
From The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution Volume 7. by Various
The senator made the case for his record and censured Mr. Paxton for unethical behavior.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026
It’s infrequent that a judge is publicly or privately censured.
From Slate ● Dec. 11, 2025
They subsequently won back their seats in special elections, while a third legislator, state Rep. Gloria Johnson, was censured but not expelled.
From Salon ● Oct. 14, 2025
It does not necessarily guarantee that he will not be censured, or fired, if his remarks violate his employer’s rules or standards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2025
The Senate investigators didn’t agree; the committee censured the police superintendent.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
Critics are censuring Mr. Warsh for turning his back on those goals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The county would end up filing a lawsuit in August against Viet America Society and censuring Do in September.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2024
But make no mistake about its significance: Parliament censuring a man who was prime minister as recently as September in the strongest possible terms.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2023
North Carolina State Representative Mark Brody, who supports censuring Sen. Tillis, says it is better to address differences directly.
From Reuters ● Mar. 3, 2023
“I would wish not to be hasty in censuring any one; but I always speak what I think.”
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
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.
