self-censorship

British  

noun

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

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Example Sentences

“According to surveys, students find most of the reasons for self-censorship comes from other students,” said Jed Atkins, SCiLL’s dean and director.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

"The biggest impact is really the pervasiveness of self-censorship and the sense that if you write the wrong thing... that might land you in jail," Cheng said.

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

According to PEN America, artists and performers across the country report a growing climate of self-censorship, with many avoiding political humor altogether.

From Salon • Nov. 6, 2025

That sounds terribly dramatic, I know, but self-censorship is the heart of authoritarianism.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025

This was one of his rare garrulous occasions; and, with careful self-censorship, he was making an endless series of wonder-tales out of the episodes and faits divers common to the experience of such as he.

From The Dark Star by Stevens, William Dodge