census

[sen-suh s]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR census ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural cen·sus·es.

an official enumeration of the population, with details as to age, sex, occupation, etc.

(in ancient Rome) the registration of citizens and their property, for purposes of taxation.

verb (used with object)

to take a census of (a country, city, etc.): The entire nation is censused every 10 years.

Origin of census

1605–15; < Latin: a listing and property assessment of citizens, equivalent to cēns(ēre) to assess, register (citizens) in a census + -tus suffix of v. action; for -s- in place of -st- see censor

Related formscen·su·al

[sen-shoo-uh l] /ˈsɛn ʃu əl/, adjectivepre·cen·sus, noun

Can be confusedcensus consensus (see usage note at consensus)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for census

poll, enumeration, statistics, demography, demographics, stats

Examples from the Web for census

Contemporary Examples of census

Every 10 years, after the Census, legislators get together and draw district lines in collusion.
Hate Hyper-Partisanship? Support Redistricting Reform Now
John Avlon
November 3, 2014
Byrne invented a deceased husband named William K. Richard and hid herself from census takers.
Wonder Woman’s Creation Story Is Wilder Than You Could Ever Imagine
Tom Arnold-Forster
November 3, 2014
Just 0.5 percent of Ferguson is of Asian descent, according to 2010 U.S. Census data.
Ferguson's Other Race Problem: Riots Damaged Asian-Owned Stores
Tim Mak
August 20, 2014
For the first time in our history, according to the Census Bureau, blacks are now voting at a higher rate than whites.
How to Really Empower Black Voters Nationwide
Ron Christie
July 22, 2014
According to the Census Bureau, 49 percent of Americans receive some kind of government benefits.
Up To A Point: My Problem With People Who Agree With Me
P. J. O’Rourke
July 20, 2014

Historical Examples of census

The percentage of males in the State by the census of 1900 was 52.3.
The History of Woman Suffrage, Volume IV
Various
By the census of 1870 the number of insane persons in the State was 3,414.
The Life, Public Services and Select Speeches of Rutherford B. Hayes
James Quay Howard
This can be verified by reference to any census of any penal institution.
The Necessity of Atheism
Dr. D.M. Brooks
The diminution revealed by the 1911 Census amounts to 76,000.
Home Rule
Harold Spender
He tells us that when our first census was taken only four per cent.
Checking the Waste
Mary Huston Gregory

British Dictionary definitions for census

census

noun plural -suses

an official periodic count of a population including such information as sex, age, occupation, etc

any offical counta traffic census

(in ancient Rome) a registration of the population and a property evaluation for purposes of taxation

Derived Formscensual, adjective

Word Origin for census

C17: from Latin, from cēnsēre to assess

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for census

1610s, from Latin census "the enrollment of the names and property assessments of all Roman citizens," originally past participle of censere "to assess" (see censor (n.)). The modern census begins in the U.S., 1790., and Revolutionary France. Property for taxation was the primary purpose in Rome, hence Latin census also was used for "one's wealth, one's worth, wealthiness."