What does "censure" mean?
The act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension.
Censure
/ˈsɛn.ʃɚ/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension.
- Grammar: censure is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abuse, accusation, accuse, admonishment.
- Useful contrasts: acclaim, acquittal, approbations.
- Usage evidence: Will you screen me from public censure?
How to use "censure"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "censure" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "censure" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "censure" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "censure" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "censure" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abuse" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "censure", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension. countable, uncountable
"Censure, which arraigns the public actions and the private motives of princes, has ascribed to envy, a conduct which might be attributed to the prudence and moderation of Hadrian."
- 2 harsh criticism or disapproval wordnet
- 3 Official reprimand. countable, uncountable
"After his actions were challenged by foreign governments and Parliament initially tried to put a stop to his action, Denman returned home and argued his case with enough force that, by 1848, the Royal Navy was handed active permission and encouragement to raze every last slave factory they could find to the ground, and full authority to stop any ship, of any flag, that was thought to be a slaver, with a guarantee with^([sic]) no censure from the government."
- 4 the state of being excommunicated wordnet
- 5 A judicial or ecclesiastical sentence or reprimand; condemnatory judgment. countable, uncountable
"He that hath past / So many Cenſures is novv come at laſt / To haue your princely Eares, grace you him; […]"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A judgment (either favorable or unfavorable); an opinion. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Take each man's cenſure, but reſerve thy judgment."
Verb
- 1 To criticize harshly. transitive
"I may be censured that nature thus gives way to loyalty."
- 2 rebuke formally wordnet
- 3 To formally rebuke. transitive
"The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff, a key lawmaker in Democrats’ congressional investigations into former President Donald Trump during his presidency."
- 4 To form or express a judgment in regard to; to estimate; to judge. obsolete, transitive
"Should I say more, you might well censure me a flatterer."
Antonyms
Example
"Will you screen me from public censure?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "censure"?
Common synonyms include: abuse, accusation, accuse, admonishment, admonishments, admonition.
How do you use "censure" in a sentence?
Will you screen me from public censure?
How do you pronounce "censure"?
Pronounced /ˈsɛn.ʃɚ/.
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.”).