noun
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a policy or programme of censoring
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the act or system of censoring
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psychoanal the activity of the mind in regulating impulses, etc, from the unconscious so that they are modified before reaching the conscious mind
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of censorship
Explanation
Censorship blocks something from being read, heard, or seen. If you've ever heard the sound of bleeping when someone is speaking on television, that's censorship. To "censor" is to review something and to choose to remove or hide parts of it that are considered unacceptable. Censorship is the name for the process or idea of keeping things like obscene word or graphic images from an audience. There is also such a thing as self-censorship, which is when you refrain from saying certain things — or possibly re-wording them — depending on who is listening.
Vocabulary lists containing censorship
List 5
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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World War I
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"At the same time, maybe they need to loosen their censorship a bit in order to have more different kinds of movie and less restriction creating-wise," he added.
From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026
Some free speech groups have warned it would expand censorship.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
Bypassing censorship Some jurisdictions are more restrictive than others, with many heavily censoring Internet access.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
We are explicitly prohibited from censoring broadcasters, but this is censorship.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026
“As you may know, there’s a petition to get my song taken off Dat Cloud. Besides the fact it’s censorship, it’s stupid as hell.”
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
