census

[sen-suhs]

noun

plural

censuses 

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

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

verb (used with object)

1. to take a census of (a country, city, etc.).

   The entire nation is censused every 10 years.

census

/ ˈsɛnsəs /

noun

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

2. any offical count

   a traffic census

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

Other Word Forms

• censual adjective
• precensus noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of census¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin: “a listing and property assessment of citizens,” equivalent to cēns(ēre) “to assess, register (citizens) in a census” + -tus suffix of verb action; for -s- in place of -st- censor

Word History and Origins

Origin of census¹

C17: from Latin, from cēnsēre to assess

Example Sentences

California’s 52 congressional districts — the most of any state — currently are drawn by a voter-approved independent commission once every decade following the U.S. census.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

By 2022, women working full time and year-round peaked at making 84 cents on the dollar compared with men, census data show.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

If it fails to do so, the next census won’t be protected from the directive’s harmful requirements.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Following the 2020 census, Louisiana created a new congressional map that included only one Black majority district instead of the previous two.

Read more on Barron's

According to 2020 census data, there are more than nine million black people with incomes above the white median.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• enumeration 
• poll