Etymologically
Log in

censé

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 22 October 2026 at 03:55. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

Forms

censé (feminine censée, masculine plural censés, feminine plural censées)[1]

Etymology

Used as an adjective, it is the past participle from Middle French censer (“to think, reckon; to censure, reform”), a verb borrowed from Latin cēnseō (“to assess property and rank; to estimate, judge”).[2][3][4][5] Bloch and Wartburg call it a participle made on the Latin verb.[6] The Latin word belongs with cēnsus, the source of cens;[3] Rey traces it to an Indo-European root Proto-Indo-European *kens- (“to proclaim solemnly”).[3]

The old verb is found in Brantôme in the sense “to declare, deem”.[2][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

Cotgrave records it in 1611 in the sense “classed, ranked, reckoned, valued”.[2][3]

Semantic evolution

Censé is the only part of the old verb censer still in use.[3] It first meant “classed, counted among” (1611), a sense still found in Saint-Simon, and, from 1690 (Furetière) “considered, deemed”, followed by an infinitive or an adjective.[2][7][3] The legal maxim nul n'est censé ignorer la loi “ignorance of the law is no excuse” keeps this use.[3][7]

The adverb censément “supposedly” is recorded in 1852 (Rey) or 1863 (Bloch and Wartburg), and was widespread in popular speech.[3][6]

Timeline

  • 16th century – Brantôme uses the verb censer.[2]
  • 1611 – Cotgrave records censé “classed, reckoned”.[2]
  • 1690 – Furetière records the sense “deemed, supposed”.[2]
  • 1852 – The adverb censément.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. Supposed, deemed (followed by an infinitive): elle est censée arriver demain, je ne suis pas censé le dire.[8][1]
  2. Nul n'est censé ignorer la loi: ignorance of the law is no excuse.[8][7]
  3. (classical) Classed, counted among.[7]

Word family

  • censément

Usage notes

Censé is pronounced like sensé (“sensible”), which is unrelated.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  5. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 2, 579a
  6. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  7. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  8. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert