censor

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsɛnsə/ (UK); /ˈsɛnsɚ/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Middle French censor and directly from Latin cēnsor (“Roman censor”),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from cēnsēre “to assess, appraise, give as one's opinion”,^{[4][2][3][5][6]} perhaps related to Sanskrit śaṃsati “he praises”.^[5][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Either of the two magistrates of ancient Rome who kept the census of citizens and supervised public morals (1526 in Merriam-Webster; 1531 in Barnhart; 1533 in the OED).^[5][2][7]

Semantic evolution

The Roman censors also had charge of public finances and works.^[3] In English the word was extended to anyone exercising supervision over morals and conduct (1592),^[7][3] and to a fault-finder (1599).^[7] From 1644 it named an official who examines books and plays before publication,^[7][3] and by the early 19th century chiefly a state agent who suppresses politically subversive matter.^[3] Wartime censors of private letters date from 1914,^[7] and in psychology the censor is a mental force that represses unacceptable thoughts (1912).^[7][4] The verb dates from 1833–82.^[3][7][2][5]

Timeline

• 1526 – the Roman magistrate (Merriam-Webster).^[5]
• 1592 – a supervisor of morals.^[7]
• 1644 – an official who examines publications.^[7][3]
• 1882 – verb, to act as censor.^[7][2][5]
• 1912 – in psychology, a repressive mental force.^[7]
• 1914 – a censor of private correspondence.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. An official who examines books, films, news and other material in order to suppress parts considered objectionable on moral, political or military grounds.
2. An official who reads private letters and dispatches, as in wartime, and removes sensitive information.
3. (history) Either of two magistrates of ancient Rome who took the census and supervised public morals.
4. A person who censures or criticizes; a faultfinder.
5. (psychology) A supposed mental agency that represses unacceptable impulses before they reach consciousness.

Verb

1. To examine in order to suppress or delete anything considered objectionable; to suppress as objectionable.

Word family

• censorable
• censorial
• censorship

Related words

• censorious
• censure
• census

Usage notes

Wiktionary notes that censor should not be confused with censer, a container for burning incense, or censure, an official reprimand.^[1]

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
5. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press