Dictionary

censure en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈsɛns.jʊə/ (UK, archaic)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈsɛn.ʃ(j)ʊə/ (UK, archaic)
• /ˈsen.ʃə/ (Australia)
• /ˈsɛn.ʃə/ (UK)
• /ˈsɛn.ʃɚ/ (US)

Etymology

From 1350–1400 Middle English censure, from Old French, from Latin censūra (“censor's office or assessment”), from censēre (“to consider, to assess, to value, to judge, to tax, etc.”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension.
   • Both the censure and the praise were merited. 1856 December, [Thomas Babington] Macaulay, “Samuel Johnson”, in T[homas] F[lower] E[llis], editor, The Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches of Lord Macaulay, new edition, London: Longman, Green, Reader, & Dyer, published 1871, →OCLC:
   • Censure, which arraigns the public actions and the private motives of princes, has ascribed to envy, a conduct which might be attributed to the prudence and moderation of Hadrian. 1776, Edward Gibbon, chapter I, in The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, […], →OCLC:
2. (countable, uncountable) Official reprimand.
   • After his actions were challenged by foreign governments and Parliament initially tried to put a stop to his action, Denman returned home and argued his case with enough force that, by 1848, the Royal Navy was handed active permission and encouragement to raze every last slave factory they could find to the ground, and full authority to stop any ship, of any flag, that was thought to be a slaver, with a guarantee with^([sic]) no censure from the government. 2018 December 1, Drachinifel, 9:45 from the start, in Anti-Slavery Patrols - The West Africa Squadron, archived from the original on 29 Nov 2024:
3. (countable, uncountable) A judicial or ecclesiastical sentence or reprimand; condemnatory judgment.
   • [E]xcommunication […] being the chief ecclesiastical censure 1679–1715, Gilbert Burnet, “(please specify the page)”, in The History of the Reformation of the Church of England., London: […] T[homas] H[odgkin] for Richard Chiswell, […]:
   • He that hath past / So many Cenſures is novv come at laſt / To haue your princely Eares, grace you him; […] c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], “The Prologue Spoken at Court”, in Tho[mas] Heywood, editor, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, , signature [A4], recto:
4. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) A judgment (either favorable or unfavorable); an opinion.
   • Take each man's cenſure, but reſerve thy judgment. c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:

Forms

Synonyms

verdict · censure · inference · discipline · correction · attainture · sanction · sentence · disapproval · determination · dispraise · punition · admonishment · disapprobation · sight · chastisement · blame · decision · admonishment · brickbatting · blame · view · ergotism · judgement/judgment · opinion · discipline · condemning · mind · critique · illation · censure · damnation · dispraise · disapprobation · censure · censure · deduction · attainder · choice · sanction · punishment · reprehension · criticism · castigation · discommendation · take · result · dispraise · punishment · vituperation · onus · conclusion · improbation · penalty · award · reprehension · condemnation · view · conclusion · idea · attaintment · panning

Translations (46)

uk засудження (an official reprimand) · de Zurechtweisung (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · enm blame (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · de Zurechtweisen (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · de Kritik (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · gl censura (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · ru замеча́ние (an official reprimand) · fi moitteet (an official reprimand) · cs odsouzení (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · cs výčitka (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · hy պարսավանք (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · ru порица́ние (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · sa निन्दा (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · tl pula (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · es reprehensión (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · ga cáineadh (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · xcl դսրով (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · ca censura (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · grc ὄνειδος (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · hy նախատինք (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · ru вы́говор (an official reprimand) · txb nāki (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · bg неодобрение (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · uk осуд (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · de Rüge (an official reprimand) · de Ermahnung (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · cs výtka (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · cs odsuzování (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · es reproche (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · cs důtka (an official reprimand) · bg порицание (an official reprimand) · ru нарека́ние (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · fi moittiminen (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · uk засудження (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · fi tuomio (judicial or ecclesiastical sentence or reprimand) · de Tadel (an official reprimand) · cs výtka (an official reprimand) · de Tadeln (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · de Verweis (an official reprimand) · zza sansur (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · cs pokárání (an official reprimand) · es censura (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · de Tadel (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · de Ermahnen (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · cs tvrdá kritika (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension) · de Kritisieren (the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension)

censure en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈsɛns.jʊə/ (UK, archaic)
• (Australia) audio
• /ˈsɛn.ʃ(j)ʊə/ (UK, archaic)
• /ˈsen.ʃə/ (Australia)
• /ˈsɛn.ʃə/ (UK)
• /ˈsɛn.ʃɚ/ (US)

Etymology

From 1350–1400 Middle English censure, from Old French, from Latin censūra (“censor's office or assessment”), from censēre (“to consider, to assess, to value, to judge, to tax, etc.”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To criticize harshly.
   • I may be censured that nature thus gives way to loyalty. c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene v]:
   • Cultural norms and social rules regulate whether someone can be among others or will be isolated, whether the sick will be considered foul or acceptable, and whether they are to be pitied or censured. 1982 March 18, Eric J. Cassel[l], “The Nature of Suffering and the Goals of Medicine”, in The New England Journal of Medicine, volume 306, number 11, →DOI, page 642:
   • The Woodwalton signalman, Rose, who was severely censured in Captain Tyler's report, behaved with great negligence. 1946 January and February, T. S. Lascelles, “A Series of False Signals”, in Railway Magazine, page 43:
2. (transitive) To formally rebuke.
   • The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff, a key lawmaker in Democrats’ congressional investigations into former President Donald Trump during his presidency. 2023 June 21, Haley Talbot and Kristin Wilson, “House votes to censure Democratic congressman who led Trump investigations”, in CNN:
3. (obsolete, transitive) To form or express a judgment in regard to; to estimate; to judge.
   • Should I say more, you might well censure me a flatterer. 1625, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Elder Brother. A Comedy.”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1679, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii:

Forms

Deriveds

uncensuring · censurable · recensure · censurious · censureship · censureless · censurability · miscensure

Relateds

censorship · censorial · censor · census · censorious

Synonyms

denunciate · get down · interpret · esteem · condemn · account · drag · give somebody what-for · get at · hold · reprimand · reprimand · see · dub · read somebody the riot act · find fault · deem · esteem · look upon · rubbish · put someone on blast · derogate · criticize · charge · lambaste · reprove · keelhaul · deprecate · scold · bawl out · give somebody a piece of one's mind · lay into · berate · slash · look upon · slam · censure · dispraise · rate · savage · rebuke · chew out · dress down · lace into · blame · get up · lay into · denounce · upbraid · skewer · find · pooh-pooh · vituperate · tick off · rip into · cannonade · animadvert · light into · scorch · vilify · tosh · fulminate · berisp · threap · slate · castigate · censure · consider · chastise · regard as · lash · respect · excoriate · objurgate · reprehend · eat someone alive · blast · admonish · lecture · tear into · view as · excoriate · castigate · tilt · inveigh · count · think of · chide · reproach · tell off · appraise · judge · bash · dub

Translations (43)

bg осъждам (to formally rebuke) · ar لَامَ (to criticize harshly) · cs kárat (to criticize harshly) · fi tuomita (to criticize harshly) · de tadeln (to criticize harshly) · cs plísnit (to criticize harshly) · ar اِسْتَهْجَنَ (to criticize harshly) · nl berispen (to formally rebuke) · de rügen (to formally rebuke) · ar اِسْتَنْكَرَ (to criticize harshly) · de verurteilen (to criticize harshly) · cs odsoudit (to criticize harshly) · es reconvenir (to criticize harshly) · cs pokárat (to formally rebuke) · grc εὐθύνω (to formally rebuke) · cs pranýřovat (to criticize harshly) · cs zavrhnout (to criticize harshly) · de verdammen (to criticize harshly) · cs vyplísnit (to criticize harshly) · nl op de vingers tikken (to formally rebuke) · id mengecam (to criticize harshly) · es reprochar (to criticize harshly) · de kritisieren (to criticize harshly) · tl pulaan (to criticize harshly) · de monieren (to criticize harshly) · mi wenerau (to criticize harshly) · bg порицавам (to criticize harshly) · cs kárat (to formally rebuke) · eo admoni (to criticize harshly) · de tadeln (to formally rebuke) · arz استهجن (to criticize harshly) · es censurar (to criticize harshly) · de Rüge erteilen (to formally rebuke) · ca censurar (to criticize harshly) · arz لام (to criticize harshly) · cs zkritizovat (to criticize harshly) · arz استنكر (to criticize harshly) · got 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽 (to criticize harshly) · es requintear (to criticize harshly) · de Verweis erteilen (to formally rebuke) · th โจมตี (to criticize harshly) · de Tadel erteilen (to formally rebuke) · gl censurar (to criticize harshly)