censor
Redacts objectionable material
A censor is someone who examines material—books, films, letters, broadcasts—and removes or suppresses content deemed objectionable, harmful, or sensitive.
Governments censor for political control; institutions censor for propriety or security.
The verb means to perform this function: The prison censored his letters.
Self-censor means to restrain one's own expression preemptively.
The word carries negative connotations of suppression, though censors often claim protective motives.
Conceal text for secrecy
- expurgateRemove offensive material
- bowdlerizeRemove objectionable content
- bleepElectronic censoring tone
- sanitizeCleanse of pathogens
cut · excise · delete · remove · strike · omit · purge · scrub
Formally disallow
- forbidDeclare not allowed
- banOfficial restriction on something
- outlawFugitive from justice
- blockSolid mass, or impede
restrict · disallow · veto · interdict · proscribe · debar · exclude · bar
Forcibly put an end to
- silenceTotal lack of sound
- stifleSuppress or restrain
- gagMouth restraint or jest
- muteWithout voice or sound
quell · smother · hush · squelch · muzzle · quiet · restrain · dampen
Display or barrier
- moderateLessen intensity or preside
- filterPorous separation device
- controlAuthority to direct
- blockSolid mass, or impede
restrict · flag · review · monitor · gatekeep · vet · approve · firewall
Biased information for influence
- dissentDisagreement with authority
- subversionUndermining established authority
- seditionInciting revolt against government
- samizdatClandestine dissident publishing
state-controlled · authoritarian · totalitarian · Orwellian · book-burning
One who evaluates officially
- inspectorOfficial quality checker
- regulatorDevice maintaining steady output
- boardFlat rigid panel
- commissionPayment for services rendered
watchdog · monitor · overseer · arbiter · licensor · classifier · MPAA · FCC
Moral appropriateness in behavior
- proprietyCorrectness of conduct
- obscenityIndecent word or act
- indecencyOffensive or vulgar behavior
- profanityVulgar or obscene speech
blasphemy · prudery · puritanism · Victorian · squeamish · offensive · inappropriate · objectionable
Control over impulses
- discretionCareful judgment in speech
- cautionCareful attention to risk
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- inhibitionMental check on behavior
redact
Conceal text for secrecy
- expurgateRemove offensive material
- bowdlerizeRemove objectionable content
- bleepElectronic censoring tone
sanitize · cut · excise · delete · remove · strike · omit · purge · scrub · cleanse
prohibit
Formally disallow
block · restrict · disallow · veto · interdict · proscribe · debar · exclude · bar · blacklist
suppress
Forcibly put an end to
mute · quell · smother · hush · squelch · muzzle · quiet · restrain · dampen · quash
screen
Display or barrier
block · restrict · flag · review · monitor · gatekeep · vet · approve · firewall
propaganda
Biased information for influence
- dissentDisagreement with authority
- subversionUndermining established authority
- seditionInciting revolt against government
samizdat · state-controlled · authoritarian · totalitarian · Orwellian · book-burning
examiner
One who evaluates officially
commission · watchdog · monitor · overseer · arbiter · licensor · classifier · MPAA · FCC
decency
Moral appropriateness in behavior
profanity · blasphemy · prudery · puritanism · Victorian · squeamish · offensive · inappropriate · objectionable · explicit
restraint
Control over impulses
- discretionCareful judgment in speech
- cautionCareful attention to risk
- hesitationDelay from uncertainty
- removalremove, elimination, delete, erasing, erase
- Ancient RomeRome, Julius Caesar, Caesar, gladiator, gladiators
- Ancient RomansJulius Caesar, patricians, consuls, Marcus Aurelius, Nero
- exclusionexclude, excluded, rule out, banned, bans
- governance verbsgovern, rule, reign, legislate, regulate
- public workerscivil servant, firefighter, mail carrier, police officer, social worker
censoruncensor
Remove content restrictions
publish · release · disseminate · broadcast · circulate
- political censorshipGovernment restricting public expression
- government censorshipOfficial restriction of expression
- news censorshipRestricting published information
- book censorshipRestricting access to texts
- state censorshipGovernment restricting public expression
- census recordsOfficial population survey documents
census, censure, censorship, censored, uncensored, censorious, censors, censoring, censured