1. Roman law. (ital.) A Roman officer who acted as a census-taker, assessor, and reviewer of public morals.
2. A person who inspects publications, films, and the like for objectionable content.
3. In the armed forces, someone who reads letters and other communications and deletes material considered a security threat. — cen-sorial, adj. — censorship, n.
censor (sen-s[schwa]r), vb. To officially inspect (esp. a book or film) and delete material considered offensive.