# book burning

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/book-burning
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Any mass destruction, removal, or recalling of books, motion pictures, broadcasts, or electronic works as a form of censorship, especially motivated by religious or political objections to the material.

## Examples

- The regime ordered book burning to silence its critics.
- After the revolution, angry crowds gathered in the square for book burning of everything written by the old rulers.
- Historians now view that summer's widespread book burning not merely as vandalism, but as a calculated effort to erase an entire generation's dissenting voices from public memory.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.