censoring
UK[ˈsensərɪŋ]US[ˈsensərɪŋ]
v
The present participle or gerund of 'censor', meaning to examine and suppress parts of a book, film, news, etc., considered objectionable or a threat to security.
n
The act or practice of censoring.
Morpheme Breakdown
cens
or
ing
cens
to assess
or
agent suffix
ing
verbal/gerund suffix
Etymology
The word 'censoring' originates from the Latin verb 'censēre', which meant to assess, estimate, or give an opinion, particularly in an official capacity as done by a Roman censor. This official was responsible for taking the census and regulating public morals. Over time, the core sense of authoritative judgment evolved specifically towards the suppression of information deemed harmful or inappropriate. The modern English form 'censor' adds the agent suffix '-or', and the '-ing' suffix creates the present participle or gerund, describing the ongoing action of imposing such official judgment on media or communication.
Analysis
Structure: cens (to assess) + or (agent suffix) + ing (verbal/gerund suffix)
- cens: From Latin 'censēre', meaning to assess, estimate, judge.
- or: A Latin-derived agent suffix indicating a person or thing that performs an action.
- ing: An English suffix forming the present participle or gerund.
Examples
The government was accused of censoring news reports about the protest.
Her job involved censoring letters from soldiers during the war.
The practice of censoring certain topics in school libraries remains controversial.