censor

A censor takes out things that are objectionable or inappropriate, like the censors at the TV networks bleeping out all the bad words in a show.

To put it simply, a censor judges. Originating in the 1530’s, a censor was originally a Roman magistrate who took censuses and oversaw public morals. Censors today are hired by TV stations, publishers and the government to examine books, films and other material and strip out or flag all the amoral, offensive or otherwise bad stuff. Thankfully, in the U.S. free speech usually wins out over censorship.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: censor

1	n v	a person who is authorized to read publications or correspondence or to watch theatrical performances and suppress in whole or in part anything considered obscene or politically unacceptable subject to political, religious, or moral censorship
2	n	someone who censures or condemns

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: censor

1

n a person who is authorized to read publications or correspondence or to watch theatrical performances and suppress in whole or in part anything considered obscene or politically unacceptable

Type of:: functionary, official
a worker who holds or is invested with an office

v subject to political, religious, or moral censorship

“This magazine is censored by the government”

Types:: blue-pencil, delete, edit
cut or eliminate

Type of:: appraise, assess, evaluate, measure, valuate, value
evaluate or estimate the nature, quality, ability, extent, or significance of

v forbid the public distribution of ( a movie or a newspaper)

Synonyms:: ban

Types:: embargo
ban the publication of (documents), as for security or copyright reasons

Type of:: criminalise, criminalize, illegalise, illegalize, outlaw
declare illegal; outlaw

2

n someone who censures or condemns

Type of:: individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul
a human being

Choose Your Words:

censor / censure

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: censor

n a person who is authorized to read publications or correspondence or to watch theatrical performances and suppress in whole or in part anything considered obscene or politically unacceptable

v subject to political, religious, or moral censorship

v forbid the public distribution of ( a movie or a newspaper)

n someone who censures or condemns