Standard Lemma guide

censure

noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈsɛn.ʃə/
  • UK, archaic: /ˈsɛns.jʊə/
  • UK, archaic: /ˈsɛn.ʃ(j)ʊə/
  • US: /ˈsɛn.ʃɚ/
  • Australian: /ˈsen.ʃə/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S EH1 N SH ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: admonishment, dispraise, disapprobation, attainder, attainture, attaintment, blame, censure, condemnation, condemning, damnation, disapproval, improbation, reprehension, brickbatting, castigation, onus, chastisement, criticism, critique, discommendation, panning, vituperation

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Official reprimand.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A judicial or ecclesiastical sentence or reprimand; condemnatory judgment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: discipline, punishment, sanction, censure, correction, penalty, punition, sentence

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A judgment (either favorable or unfavorable); an opinion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: conclusion, idea, view, award, censure, choice, opinion, decision, deduction, determination, ergotism, illation, inference, judgement/judgment, mind, result, sight, take, verdict

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To criticize harshly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: castigate, excoriate, lay into, admonish, animadvert, bash, bawl out, slash, lash, blame, scorch, blast, berate, berisp, censure, charge, chastise, chew out, chide, condemn, criticize, denounce, denunciate, deprecate, derogate, dispraise, drag, dress down, eat someone alive, find fault, fulminate, get at, get down, get up, give somebody a piece of one's mind, give somebody what-for, inveigh, lace into, lambaste, lecture, light into, objurgate, pooh-pooh, put someone on blast, rate, read somebody the riot act, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprove, rip into, rubbish, savage, scold, skewer, slam, slate, tear into, tell off, threap, tick off, tosh, keelhaul, upbraid, vilify, vituperate

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To formally rebuke.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reprimand

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To form or express a judgment in regard to; to estimate; to judge.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dub, esteem, look upon, account, appraise, count, see, censure, consider, deem, hold, find, interpret, judge, regard as, respect, think of, view as

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

harsh criticism or disapproval

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: animadversion

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: disapprobation, condemnation

Narrower terms: interdict

9

noun

Meaning 9

the state of being excommunicated

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: excommunication, exclusion

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rejection

10

verb

Meaning 10

rebuke formally

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reprimand, criminate

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: knock, criticize, criticise, pick apart

Narrower terms: animadvert

History

Etymology

From 1350–1400 Middle English censure, from Old French, from Latin censūra (“censor's office or assessment”), from censēre (“to consider, to assess, to value, to judge, to tax, etc.”).

Across languages

Translations

89 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: պարսավանք (parsavankʻ) — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Armenian: նախատինք (naxatinkʻ) — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Old Armenian: դսրով (dsrov) — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Bulgarian: неодобрение (neodobrenie) — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Catalan: censura — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Czech: odsouzení — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Czech: odsuzování — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Czech: tvrdá kritika — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Czech: výčitka — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Czech: výtka — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Finnish: moittiminen — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Galician: censura — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • German: Tadel — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • German: Zurechtweisung — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • German: Kritik — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • German: Ermahnung — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • German: Tadeln — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • German: Zurechtweisen — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • German: Kritisieren — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • German: Ermahnen — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Ancient Greek: ὄνειδος (óneidos) — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Irish: cáineadh — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Middle English: blame — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Russian: порица́ние (poricánije) — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Russian: нарека́ние (narekánije) — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Sanskrit: निन्दा (nindā) — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Spanish: censura — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Spanish: reproche — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Spanish: reprehensión — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Tagalog: pula — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Tocharian B: nāki — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Ukrainian: осуд (osud) — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Ukrainian: засудження (zasudžennja) — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Zazaki: sansur — the act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension
  • Bulgarian: порицание (poricanie) — an official reprimand
  • Czech: pokárání — an official reprimand
  • Czech: důtka — an official reprimand
  • Czech: výtka — an official reprimand
  • Finnish: moitteet — an official reprimand
  • German: Tadel — an official reprimand
  • German: Verweis — an official reprimand
  • German: Rüge — an official reprimand
  • Russian: вы́говор (výgovor) — an official reprimand
  • Russian: замеча́ние (zamečánije) — an official reprimand
  • Ukrainian: засудження (zasudžennja) — an official reprimand
  • Finnish: tuomio — judicial or ecclesiastical sentence or reprimand
  • Arabic: لَامَ (lāma) — to criticize harshly
  • Arabic: اِسْتَنْكَرَ (istankara) — to criticize harshly
  • Arabic: اِسْتَهْجَنَ (istahjana) — to criticize harshly
  • Arabic: لام (laam) — to criticize harshly
  • Arabic: استنكر (estankar) — to criticize harshly
  • Arabic: استهجن (estahgen) — to criticize harshly
  • Bulgarian: порицавам (poricavam) — to criticize harshly
  • Catalan: censurar — to criticize harshly
  • Czech: plísnit — to criticize harshly
  • Czech: zavrhnout — to criticize harshly
  • Czech: odsoudit — to criticize harshly
  • Czech: vyplísnit — to criticize harshly
  • Czech: zkritizovat — to criticize harshly
  • Czech: pranýřovat — to criticize harshly
  • Czech: kárat — to criticize harshly
  • Esperanto: admoni — to criticize harshly
  • Finnish: tuomita — to criticize harshly
  • Galician: censurar — to criticize harshly
  • German: tadeln — to criticize harshly
  • German: monieren — to criticize harshly
  • German: kritisieren — to criticize harshly
  • German: verurteilen — to criticize harshly
  • German: verdammen — to criticize harshly
  • Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌵𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌽 (anaqiþan) — to criticize harshly
  • Indonesian: mengecam — to criticize harshly
  • Māori: wenerau — to criticize harshly
  • Spanish: reprochar — to criticize harshly
  • Spanish: requintear — to criticize harshly
  • Spanish: censurar — to criticize harshly
  • Spanish: reconvenir — to criticize harshly
  • Tagalog: pulaan — to criticize harshly
  • Thai: โจมตี (joom-dtii) — to criticize harshly
  • Bulgarian: осъждам (osǎždam) — to formally rebuke
  • Czech: kárat — to formally rebuke
  • Czech: pokárat — to formally rebuke
  • Dutch: berispen — to formally rebuke
  • Dutch: op de vingers tikken — to formally rebuke
  • German: tadeln — to formally rebuke
  • German: Verweis erteilen — to formally rebuke
  • German: Rüge erteilen — to formally rebuke
  • German: rügen — to formally rebuke
  • German: Tadel erteilen — to formally rebuke
  • Ancient Greek: εὐθύνω (euthúnō) — to formally rebuke