Censor, Sensor, and Censure
What is the difference between censor, sensor, and censure?
To censor means to forbid.
A sensor is a detector.
Censure is displeasure.
To censor means to forbid.
A sensor is a detector.
Censure is displeasure.
Censor, Sensor, Censure
Writers sometimes confuse censor and sensor. Even though they sound identical, their meanings are quite different (i.e., they're homonyms). As censure sounds similar, we've included it on this page, but errors involving censure are far rarer than with censor and sensor.Censor
The verb to censor means to forbid public distribution of something (usually a film or a newspaper).Example:
- How did that statement end up on the streets? I censored the article myself.
Sensor
The noun sensor denotes a detector of a stimulus (such as heat, light, motion, pressure).Example:
- An infrared sensor designed to detect movement triggered the roadside bomb.
Censure
The noun censure denotes a formal rebuke or official displeasure.Example:
- He has received two letters of censure from the commandant.
A Quick Test
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?