Censure

/ˈsɛn.ʃə/ · noun

Meaning

The act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension..

Definitions by Sense

1. The act of blaming, criticizing, or condemning as wrong; reprehension.
2. Official reprimand.
3. A judicial or ecclesiastical sentence or reprimand; condemnatory judgment.
4. (obsolete) A judgment (either favorable or unfavorable); an opinion.
5. (transitive) To criticize harshly.
6. (transitive) To formally rebuke.
7. (obsolete, transitive) To form or express a judgment in regard to; to estimate; to judge.

Example Sentences

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.

Both the censure and the praise were merited.

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.

He that hath past / So many Cenſures is novv come at laſt / To haue your princely Eares, grace you him; […]

[E]xcommunication […] being the chief ecclesiastical censure

Take each man's cenſure, but reſerve thy judgment.

I may be censured that nature thus gives way to loyalty.

The Woodwalton signalman, Rose, who was severely censured in Captain Tyler's report, behaved with great negligence.

Synonyms for censure

Antonyms for censure

Related Words

Word Forms

• censures
• censuring
• censured

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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