Looking up...
censura
/θenˈsuɾa/
censorship
El gobierno impuso censura sobre los medios de comunicación.
The government imposed censorship on the media.
formal
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.
Law
formal
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.
Collocations
censura previaprior censorshipcensura gubernamentalgovernment censorshiplevantar la censurato lift the censorship
Synonyms
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'censor'
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.
Gold Rule
Context matters
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').
Word Origin
From Latin *censūra*, derived from *censēre* ('to assess, judge'), referring to the role of Roman censors who evaluated citizens' conduct and morals.
Usage Notes
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.
Word Breakdown
cens-
from Latin *censēre* ('to assess')
root-ura
suffix forming abstract nouns (e.g., 'estructura', 'natura')
suffixDiccionario Español-Inglés