self-censorship

British

noun

the regulation of a group's actions and statements by its own members rather than an external agency

"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

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.

These tactics discouraged criticism and encouraged self-censorship.

From Salon

Over time, that self-censorship can be deeply isolating.

From BBC

Without clear boundaries, self-censorship spreads among analysts, journalists and academics who fear becoming the next target.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Self-censorship” is what Mr. Hersh calls the flaw in so many news organizations to miss or ignore controversial stories, when what he really means is laziness and cowardice.

From The Wall Street Journal

After that, Chow said, the film industry stepped up self-censorship.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023