The act of removing or blocking information, words, or ideas from books, movies, internet, or other media that someone considers harmful or inappropriate.
From Latin 'censura' (judgment or assessment), derived from 'censere' (to assess or review). Originally, Roman censors were officials who assessed citizens' morality. The term evolved to mean suppression of expression.
Throughout history, banning books backfired spectacularly—'The Catcher in the Rye' became wildly popular partly because it was censored so much, creating a forbidden-fruit effect that made teenagers desperate to read it!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.