censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship ˈsen(t)-sər-ˌship 

1

a

: the institution, system, or practice of censoring

They oppose government censorship.

b

: the actions or practices of censors

especially : censorial control exercised repressively

… censorship that has … permitted a very limited dispersion of facts.

—Philip Wylie

2

: the office, power, or term of a Roman censor

3

: exclusion from consciousness by the psychic censor

Examples of censorship in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What did Ken Russell tell you about the censorship of The Devils? — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026

In particular, both Russia and Iran have repeatedly flagged Starlink as a major threat since it's been aiding Ukraine and helping local Iranians bypass internet censorship. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 Oct. 2026

Kim, who co-founded the festival in 1996 and raised nearly the entire budget for its inaugural edition single-handedly, also secured the abolition of censorship for films screened at that first edition. — Lin Ying-Hsuan, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026

But the result has been to stifle federal efforts to mitigate foreign influence, and claims of censorship have been used to shut down or weaken essential institutions. — RenÉe Diresta, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

censor entry 1 + -ship

First Known Use

1556, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing censorship

• anti-censorship
• self-censorship

Rhymes for censorship

• authorship
• battleship
• chairmanship
• chieftainship
• comradeship
• consulship
• craftsmanship
• dealership
• draftsmanship
• fellowship
• fingertip
• internship

Kids Definition

censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship ˈsen(t)-sər-ˌship 

: the system or practice of censoring

Medical Definition

censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship ˈsen(t)-sər-ˌship 

: exclusion from consciousness by the psychic censor

Legal Definition

censorship

noun

cen·​sor·​ship

: the institution, system, or practice of censoring compare freedom of speech, prior restraint