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censure definition

cen·sure (sens̸hər)

noun

  1. a condemning as wrong; strong disapproval
  2. a judgment or resolution condemning a person for misconduct; specif., an official expression of disapproval passed by a legislature

Etymology: L censura < censor, censor

transitive verb censured -·sured, censuring -·sur·ing

to express strong disapproval of

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
censure Synonyms

censure

n.


censure

v.

criticize, blame, condemn, reprehend, denounce, judge, reprove, reprimand, rebuff, rebuke, reproach, upbraid, scold, attack, admonish, denigrate, tear apart, pull apart, pick apart, get after, dress down, snap at, bark at, tell off, animadvert, disapprove, impugn, disparage, deprecate, depreciate, lecture, take to task, berate, discipline, chastise, carp at, incriminate, asperse, cavil, nitpick, remonstrate, fault, find fault with, frown upon, moralize upon, look askance, chide, ostracize, castigate, comment upon, decry, inveigh against, damn, reprobate, exclaim against, fulminate against, cast blame upon, cast a slur upon, bring into discredit, discountenance, contemn, blackball, bad-mouth*, shoot down*, curse out, cuss out*, call down*, cry down*, slam*, blast*, sit on*, rip into*, light into*, hit out at*, knock*, call on the carpet*, rake over the coals*, haul over the coals*, rap on the knuckles*, chew out*, throw the first stone*, cast the first stone*, throw stones at*, give a good talking to, take a dim view of, not speak well of, not be able to say much for, come down on*, pick holes in*, tell a thing or two*, tear into*, give one hell*, cut up*, jump on*, cut one down to size*, give a piece of one's mind*, jump down one's throat*, bring to book*, read the riot act*, put down*, rap*, pan*, trash*, bash*; see also denounce, scold.

Antonyms praise*, laud*, commend.

censure implies the expression of severe criticism or disapproval by a person in authority or in a position to pass judgment; condemn and denounce both imply an emphatic pronouncement of blame, guilt, or reprehensibility, condemn suggesting the rendering of a judicial or other final decision, and denounce, public accusation against people or acts; reprehend suggests sharp or severe disapproval, generally of faults, errors, etc. rather than of people; blame stresses the fixing of responsibility for an error, fault, etc.; criticize, in this comparison, is the most general term for finding fault with or disapproving of a person or thing


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

censure Usage Examples

Object

  • government: Recent attempts to censure the Sudanese Government over Darfur at the Security Council have been effectively wrecked by the Chinese.

Converse of object

  • escape: Kevin Lynch was lucky minutes later when he raised an elbow, but escaped censure.

Adjective modifier

  • ecclesiastical: William acknowledged that he had been constrained by ecclesiastical censure to make peace with Byland.

Modifies a noun

  • motion: The final vote on the censure motion takes place next month.

Modifying Another Word

  • not: Let your answer be: It is enough for me, that God does not censure my conduct.
censure usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

censure quotes

A man must serve his time to every trade Save censureöcritics all are ready made. Take hackneyed jokes from Miller, got by rote, With just enough of learning to misquote.

-Rochdale

By numbers here from shame or censure free, All crimes are safe, but hated poverty. This, only this, the rigid law pursues, This, only this, provokes the snarling muse.

-Johnson, Samuel known as Dr Johnson

It is the fate of those who toil at the lower employments of life†to be exposed to censure, without hope of praise; to be disgraced by miscarriage or punished for neglect† Among these unhappy mortals isthe writer of dictionaries† Every other author mayaspire to praise; the lexicographer can only hope to escape reproach.

-Johnson, Samuel known as Dr Johnson

censure quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"censure." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/censure>

APA Style

censure. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/censure

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