Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

censor

/ˈsɛnsɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.36 in modern English

Syllables
cens-or
IPA
/ˈsɛnsɚ/
8
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One of the two magistrates who originally administered the census of citizens, and by Classical times (between the 8th century B.C.E. and the 6th century C.E.) was a high judge of public behaviour and morality.

noun

One who censures or condemns.

Obsolete

verb

To review for, and if necessary to remove or suppress, content from books, films, correspondence, and other media which is regarded as objectionable (for example, obscene, likely to incite violence, or sensitive).

Transitive verb

verb

To partially obscure an observation.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

The noun is borrowed from Latin cēnsor (“magistrate; critic”), from cēnseō (“to give an opinion, judge; to assess, reckon; to decree, determine”) + -sor (variant of -tor (suffix forming masculine agent nouns)). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱens- (“to announce, proclaim; to put in order”). The English word is cognate with Late Middle English sensour, Proto-Iranian *cánhati (“to declare; to explain”), Sanskrit शंसति (śaṃsati, “to declare”). The verb is derived from the noun.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *ḱens-, cēnsor, Zensur

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈsɛnsɚ/
  • British English: /ˈsɛnsə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Homonyms

Antonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce censor?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsɛnsɚ/.
What does censor mean?
One of the two magistrates who originally administered the census of citizens, and by Classical times (between the 8th century B.C.E. and the 6th century C.E.) was a high judge of public behaviour and morality.
Where does censor come from?
It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce censor

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “censor”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈsɛnsɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “censor”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “censor” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.