One of two magistrates of Rome who took a register of the number and property of citizens, and who also exercised the office of inspector of morals and conduct. [1913 Webster]
One who is empowered to examine manuscripts before they are committed to the press, and to forbid their publication if they contain anything obnoxious; -- an official in some European countries. [1913 Webster]
One given to fault-finding; a censurer. [1913 Webster]
"Nor can the most circumspect attention, or steady rectitude, escape blame from censors who have no inclination to approve." [1913 Webster]
A critic; a reviewer. [1913 Webster]
"Received with caution by the censors of the press." [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

censor, n. & v.
--n.
1 an official authorized to examine printed matter, films, news, etc., before public release, and to suppress any parts on the grounds of obscenity, a threat to security, etc.
2 Rom.Hist. either of two annual magistrates responsible for holding censuses and empowered to supervise public morals.
3 Psychol. an impulse which is said to prevent certain ideas and memories from emerging into consciousness.
--v.tr.
1 act as a censor of.
2 make deletions or changes in.

Usage

As a verb, often confused with censure.

Derivative

censorial adj. censorship n.

Etymology

L f. censere assess: in sense 3 mistransl. of G Zensur censorship

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THESAURUS

censor

abbreviate, abridge, annotator, asphyxiate, belittler, black out, bleach, blip, blot out, blue-pencil, bottle up, bowdlerize, cancel, captious critic, carper, caviler, censurer, choke off, clamp down on, clean up, cognoscente, commentator, commenter, common scold, connoisseur, conscience, conscientiousness, cork, cork up, crack down on, critic, criticaster, criticizer, critickin, criticule, cross out, crush, cut, cut out, damp down, delete, drown, edit, edit out, editor, erase, ethical self, excise, expunge, expurgate, extinguish, faultfinder, frondeur, gag, grace, hold down, hugger-mugger, hush, hush up, hush-hush, inner arbiter, inward monitor, jump on, keep down, keep under, kill, literary critic, man of letters, momus, monopolist, moral censor, muckraker, muffle, muzzle, narrow, nitpicker, omit, pettifogger, pour water on, protectionist, purge, purify, put down, quash, quell, quench, quibbler, repress, rescind, restrain, restrict, restrictionist, reviewer, rub out, scholiast, scold, screen, shush, shut down on, silence, sit down on, sit on, smash, smellfungus, smother, social conscience, social critic, squash, squelch, stanch, stifle, strangle, strike, strike off, strike out, stultify, subdue, suffocate, superego, suppress, tender conscience, textual critic, throttle, twinge of conscience, voice of conscience, void

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ROGET THESAURUS

censor

Judge

N judge, justice, justiciar, justiciary, chancellor, justice of assize, judge of assize, recorder, common sergeant, puisne judge, assistant judge, county court judge, conservator of the peace, justice of the peace, J, P, court, magistrate, police magistrate, beak, his worship, his honor, his lordship, jury, twelve men in a box, Lord Chancellor, Lord Justice, Master of the Rolls, Vice Chancellor, Lord Chief Justice, Chief Baron, Mr, Justice, Associate Justice, Chief Justice, Baron, Baron of the Exchequer, jurat, assessor, arbiter, arbitrator, umpire, referee, referendary, revising barrister, domesman, censor, barmaster, ephor, grand juror, grand juryman, juryman, talesman, archon, tribune, praetor, syndic, podesta, mollah, ulema, mufti, cadi, kadi, Rhadamanthus, litigant, judicial, a Daniel come to judgment.

Detractor

N detractor, reprover, censor, censurer, cynic, critic, caviler, carper, word-catcher, frondeur, barracker, defamer, backbiter, slanderer, Sir Benjamin Backbite, lampooner, satirist, traducer, libeler, calumniator, dawplucker, Thersites, Zoilus, good-natured friend, reviler, vituperator, castigator, shrew, muckraker, disapprover, laudator temporis acti, black-mouthed, abusive.

Judgment

N judgment, result, conclusion, upshot, deduction, inference, ergotism, illation, corollary, porism, moral, estimation, valuation, appreciation, judication, dijudication, adjudication, arbitrament, arbitrement, arbitration, assessment, ponderation, valorization, award, estimate, review, criticism, critique, notice, report, decision, determination, judgment, finding, verdict, sentence, decree, findings of fact, findings of law, res judicata, plebiscite, voice, casting vote, vote, opinion, good judgment, judge, umpire, arbiter, arbitrator, asessor, referee, censor, reviewer, critic, connoisseur, commentator, inspector, inspecting officer, twenty-twenty hindsight, armchair general, monday morning quarterback, judging, judicious, determinate, conclusive, on the whole, all things considered, a Daniel come to judgment, and stand a critic, hated yet caress'd, it is much easier to be critical than to be correc, la critique est aisee et l'art est difficile, nothing if not critical, O most lame and impotent conclusion.

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