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“El gobierno impuso censura sobre los medios de comunicación.”
The government imposed censorship on the media.
The suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.
Durante la dictadura, hubo mucha censura en la prensa.
During the dictatorship, there was a lot of censorship in the press.
In Spanish, 'censura' can refer to both the act of censoring and the system or authority responsible for it.
A person or group responsible for examining material to suppress parts deemed unacceptable.
Los censores revisaron cada escena de la película antes de su estreno.
The censors reviewed every scene of the movie before its release.
In legal contexts, 'censura' can refer to the censor or censorship body.
In English, 'censor' can be a verb (to suppress content) or a noun (the person doing it). In Spanish, 'censor' is only a noun (the person), while 'censurar' is the verb. Do not use 'censura' as a verb in English.
Use 'censorship' for the act or system of suppression, and 'censor' for the person enforcing it. Example: 'The censor banned the book' (not 'The censorship banned the book').
From Latin *censūra*, derived from *censēre* ('to assess, judge'), referring to the role of Roman censors who evaluated citizens' conduct and morals.
In Spanish-speaking countries, 'censura' is often associated with authoritarian regimes, though it can apply to any form of content restriction. Avoid using it casually for minor restrictions; it implies significant suppression.