censure

American  

[sen-sher] / ˈsɛn ʃər /

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

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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 British  

/ ˈsɛnʃə /

noun

1. severe disapproval; harsh criticism

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verb

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

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.

Related Words

See abuse. See blame, reprimand.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of censure

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

Example Sentences

Noem was the public face of that disapproval, strutting forward with arrogance in the face of public censure, a veritable clown show of ineptitude.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

Meanwhile, Hegseth announced he would open retirement-grade determination proceedings against Kelly and issue a formal letter of censure.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

With the censure motions out of the way, the government can resume its efforts to get the second half of a much-needed 2026 austerity budget through parliament.

From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026

Hegseth issued a letter of censure against the retired Navy veteran and announced the Department of Defense would decide whether to demote Kelly and reduce his pension in the coming weeks.

From Salon • Jan. 12, 2026

Still wary of censure, I further related to him my entry into Mr. Jonathan Gitney’s house and my theft of clothing.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

Related Words

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