English Reference
Noun

censure

n.
C1 Advanced US /ˈsɛnʃɝ/ UK /sˈɛnʃɐ/ cen·sure UK spelling censures

n.a formal statement or action that shows you disapprove of someone's behavior. It is usually used when a group or leader officially criticizes someone for doing something wrong.

n.a formal expression of disapproval or criticism, typically issued by an authority or a group. Often implies a lack of support or a formal reprimand.


SIMPLE

The committee issued a public censure of the manager.

CONTEXTUAL

After the scandal, the board of directors voted to place a formal censure on the CEO's record.

COMPLEX

The senator faced a rare censure from his own party for failing to disclose his private interests during the legislative debate on the new tax law.

Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz has removed Economic Minister Jose Gabriel Espinoza from his post after the minister was censured by the country’s Congress.

Al Jazeera· 21 Aug 2026

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.”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin censūra
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated