Censure

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈsÉ›n.sjÉ™/, /ˈsÉ›n.sʃə/
• US IPA: /ˈsÉ›n.ʃɚ/

Origin

1350–1400 Middle English, from Old French, from Latin censūra ("censor's office or assessment"), from censere ("to tax, assess, value, judge, consider, etc.").

Full definition of censure

Noun

1. The act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension.
• MacaulayBoth the censure and the praise were merited.
2. An official reprimand.
3. Judicial or ecclesiastical sentence or reprimand; condemnatory judgment.
• Bishop Burnetexcommunication or other censure of the church
4. (obsolete) Judgment either favorable or unfavorable; opinion.
• William Shakespeare Hamlet, Act I, scene III:Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.

Verb

1. to criticize harshly
• ShakespeareI may be censured that nature thus gives way to loyalty.
2. to formally rebuke
3. (obsolete) To form or express a judgment in regard to; to estimate; to judge.
• Beaumont and FletcherShould I say more, you might well censure me a flatterer.

Synonyms

Related terms

• censor
• censorial
• censorious
• censorship
• census