— censorable , adj. — censorial /sen sawr"ee euhl, -sohr"-/ , censorian , adj.
/sen"seuhr/ , n.
1. an official who examines books, plays, news reports, motion pictures, radio and television programs, letters, cablegrams, etc., for the purpose of suppressing parts deemed objectionable on moral, political, military, or other grounds.
2. any person who supervises the manners or morality of others.
3. an adverse critic; faultfinder.
4. (in the ancient Roman republic) either of two officials who kept the register or census of the citizens, awarded public contracts, and supervised manners and morals.
5. (in early Freudian dream theory) the force that represses ideas, impulses, and feelings, and prevents them from entering consciousness in their original, undisguised forms.
v.t.
6. to examine and act upon as a censor.
7. to delete (a word or passage of text) in one's capacity as a censor.
[ 1525-35; censor, equiv. to cens ( ere ) to give as one's opinion, recommend, assess + -tor -TOR; -sor for * -stor by analogy with derivatives from dentals, as tonsor barber (see TONSORIAL) ]