▪ I. censure, n.
(ˈsɛnsjʊə(r), ˈsɛnʃ(j)ʊə(r))
Also 4–7 sensure, 5 sensour, 6 censoure, censer.
[a. F. censure, ad. L. censūra (so in It., Pr., Sp., Pg.) censorship, judgement, f. cens- ppl. stem of censē-re.]
† 1. A judicial sentence; esp. a condemnatory judgement. Obs.
| c 1470 Harding Chron. clxiii. iii, He should it haue by execucion due, By sensours of theyr churche and hole sentence. 1547–64 Bauldwin Mor. Philos. iii. (Palfr.) 6 According to the infallible censure of God. 1637 Laud (title), Speech in the Starr-Chamber at the Censure of Bastwick, Burton and Prinn. 1647 May Hist. Parl. ii. vi. 115 He was brought to..the House of Lords to receive his Censure. 1712 Bp. T. Wilson in Keble Life ix. (1863) 295 A person..is ordered to be dragged after a boat at Douglas..and the Governor is desired to give his order for soldiers and a boat to execute this censure. 1727 Swift Gulliver i. vii. 82 The council thought the loss of your eyes too easy a censure. |
b. spec. ‘A spiritual punishment inflicted by some ecclesiastical judge.’ Ayliffe. (The earliest recorded sense.)
| 138. Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 361 Censures þat þe fend blowiþ, as ben suspendingis, enterditingis, cursingis, and reisingis of croiserie. 1494 Fabyan vi. clxvi. 161 He purchasyd agayne hym the censures of holy churche, & accursed the sayde Bawdewyn. a 1694 Tillotson Serm. I. xxv. (R.) The publick censures of the church. 1726 Ayliffe Parerg. 155. 1845 Graves in Encycl. Metrop. 784/1 The deprivation of spiritual advantages, and the censures of the Church. |
† 2. A formal judgement or opinion (of an expert, referee, etc.). Obs.
| c 1555 Harpsfield Divorce Hen. VIII (1878) 81 Reasons..to underprop.. the Censures..of the said universities. 1625 Ussher Answ. Jesuit 305 The Interlinearie Bible approued by the Censure of the Vniversitie of Louain. |
† 3. gen. Judgement; opinion, esp. expressed opinion; criticism. Obs. or arch.
| 1576 Raleigh Pref. Verses Gascoigne's Steel Gl., To write my censure of this booke. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, ii. ii. 144. c 1611 Chapman Iliad xiii. 655 But, for me, I'll relate Only my censure what's our best. 1624 Heywood Gunaik. v. 251 Give me thy free and true censure. 1649 Bp. Hall Cases Consc. Pref., Though unworthy to pass my censure on such a subject. 1715–20 Pope Iliad iii. 288 Our ears refute the censure of our eyes. 1805 Foster Ess. ii. iv. 164 The collective censure of mankind. |
4. spec. An adverse judgement, unfavourable opinion, hostile criticism; blaming, finding fault with, or condemning as wrong; expression of disapproval or condemnation. (The usual sense.)
| 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. iii. ii. 197 No might nor greatnesse in mortality can censure scape. 1606–33 Bp. Hall Occas. Medit. (1851) 15 They, that, upon the hearing of one part, rashly pass their sentence, whether of acquittal or censure. 1702 Eng. Theophrast. 23 An author ought to receive with an equal modesty both the Praise and censure of other People. 1713 Swift On Himself, Vices of the graver sort, Tobacco, censure..pride and port. 1748 Anson Voy. ii. x. (ed. 4) 334 The whole conduct of this navigation seems liable to very great censure. 1844 Emerson Lect. Yng. Amer. Wks. (Bohn) II. 306 Our sensitiveness to foreign and especially English censure. |
5. Censorship; the office or action of a censor. a. Of the ancient Roman censors (= L. censūra): also concr. (obs.).
| 1534 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) C iij, The Censure, whoe gouerned Rome. 1598 R. Barckley Felic. Man (1631) 609 Plinie said to his master Trajan—the life of a Prince is a censure, that is to say, the rule, the square, the line and the forme of an honest life. 1862 Merivale Rom. Emp. (1865) IV. xxxiii. 86 The censure of Camillus..was celebrated. Ibid. xxxv. 200 The censure or prefecture of manners. |
b. Of any official supervisor, e.g. of the censor of the press.
| 1663 Gerbier Counsel 48 The Clarke of the works, ought to be subject to the censure of the Surveyor. 1887 Pall Mall G. 15 Nov. 14/1 It is..not easy to get one's papers sent on without censure. |
6. Correction; esp. critical recension or revision of a literary work. rare.
| 1613 R. C. Table Alph. (ed. 3), Censure, correction, or reformation. 1837–8 Hallam Hist. Lit. (1855) I. 386 So arduous a task as the thorough censure of the Vulgate text. |
† 7. An assessment, a tax. Obs. (Cf. cense n.2)
| 1641 Sched. Grievances in Rushw. Hist. Coll. iii. (1692) I. 221 By reason..of extream Usage and Censures, Merchants are beggar'd. |
b. (See quot.) ? Obs.
| a 1547 Cust. Manors Braunton (MS. penes R. Dymond, Esq.), Tenants having ther chyldern in howshold with theym under their governaunce and charge not to be presented for a Censur tyll tyme that they do be of full age by statute and put owte in huys from theem for wagys or otherwise to be maried then after that they be presented for censur. 1691–1713 Blount Law Dict. 1729–62 G. Jacob Law Dict., Censure, a custom called by this name, observed in divers manors in Cornwall and Devon, where all persons residing therein above the age of sixteen are cited to swear fealty to the lord, and to pay iid. per poll, and id. per ann. ever after; and these thus sworn are called censers. 1768 E. Buys Dict. Terms of Art. 1797– Tomlins Law Dict. |
▪ II. censure, v.
(ˈsɛnsjʊə(r), ˈsɛnʃ(j)ʊə(r))
[a. F. censure-r (16th c. in Littré), f. censure n.]
† 1. trans. To form or give a ‘censure’ or opinion of; to estimate, judge of, pass judgement on, criticize, judge. Obs.
| 1590 Greene Never too late (1600) 32 No further euidence came to censure the allegation. 1592 No-body & Some-b. (1878) 280 Peruse our evidence and censure it According to your wisdome. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. iii. ii. 16. 1642 R. Carpenter Experience i. xiii. 56 The mouth..censuring all that passes, by the taste. 1729 Franklin Ess. Wks. 1840 II. 276 As this essay is wrote and published with haste..I hope I shall be censured with candor. |
† 2. With complemental adj. or phrase: To judge (an object) to be (of such a kind). Obs.
| 1597 Sir R. Cecil in Ellis Orig. Lett. i. 234, I am contented in this to be censured idle. 1610 Histriom. vi. 137 We censure thy advice as oracles. 1619 Let. in Eng. & Germ. (1865), I..censure this for no more then a wild imagination. 1628 Wither Brit. Rememb. v. 704 They censure me unkinde or impudent. 1646 Fuller Wounded Consc. (1841) 288 Eli..censured Hannah..to be drunk with wine. 1710 Prideaux Orig. Tithes v. 283 Censuring it to be done by the Instinct of the Devil. |
† 3. To form or give an opinion; to judge, estimate. Obs. a. intr. with of or (rarely) on.
| 1589 Warner Alb. Eng. vii. xxxiv. (1612) 167 Too yong were ye to censure of your vncles tyranie. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. i. ii. 19. 1607 Heywood Wom. Kilde w. Kindn. Wks. 1874 II. 104 Most severely censur'd on. 1618 Latham 2nd Bk. Falconry (1633) 148 Censure better of me. 1682 Otway Venice Pres. iii. i, Oh thou too rashly censur'st of my loue! |
† b. with subord. clause (or pron.) as object.
| 1598 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. i. ii. (1641) 90/2 To censure how this change befell Our wits come short. 1609 Heywood Brit. Troy iii. xii, Hard it were to censure which were fairer. 1623 Webster Duch. Malfey iii. i, Your graver heads..what censure they? 1652 H. Bell tr. Luther's Colloq. 208 We ought to censure and hold that we are justified by faith. |
† c. absol. Obs.
| 1613 Heywood Silver Age iii. Wks. 1874 III. 162 Come we hither To trifle or to censure? 1709 Pope Ess. Crit. 6 Ten censure wrong, for one who writes amiss. |
† 4. To pronounce judicial sentence on; to sentence to. Obs.
| 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. ii. i. 29 When I, that censure him, do so offend, Let mine owne Iudgement patterne out my death. 1618 Bolton Florus (1636) 261 Cato censured them to death for their treason. 1621 Sir H. Slingsby Diary (1836) 316 My lord chancellor [Bacon] was this daie censured to go to the tower duringe the Kinges pleasure. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia v. 193 Some were censured to the whipping post. 1682 Enq. Elect. Sheriffs 27 He was censured..to be degraded of all Honours and Titles. |
† b. To adjudge to be. Obs.
| 1640 Yorke Union Hon. an. 1215 King Johns covenant was censured to be void. |
5. To pronounce an adverse judgement on, express disapproval of, criticize unfavourably; to find fault with, blame, condemn. (The current sense.)
| 1596 Drayton Legends i. 409 Duke Robert iustly censured stood, For Disobedience and unnaturall Pride. 1625 Bacon Ess. Followers & Fr. (Arb.) 39 Would not Censure, or Speake ill of a Man. c 1710 Swift Wks. (1841) II. 24 Discourses..which instead of being censured, were universally approved. 1779 Johnson L.P. Wks. 1816 X. 138 He was censured as covetous. 1828 Whately Rhet. in Encycl. Metrop. 296/1 Their ill-success will probably lead them to censure the proposed method. |
† b. With of: To charge (a person) with (some fault). Obs.
| 1634 Jackson Creed vii. xxvii, This..writer sometimes censures the seventy interpreters of ignorance in the Hebrew tongue. 1653 Ashwell Fides Apost. 58 [He] might be not undeservedly censured of Arrogancy. |
c. With subord. clause. rare.
| 1853 F. W. Newman Odes Horace 18 We rather lament than censure that he had no inward strength to combat circumstances so unfavourable. |
d. absol.
| 1702 J. Chamberlayne St. Gr. Brit. ii. ii. iii. (1743) 356 They..proceed accordingly to censure or commend, as they find cause. a 1763 Shenstone Wks. (1764) I. 54 The souls..That never flatter'd, injur'd, censur'd, strove. |
† 6. trans. To exercise censorship over. Obs. rare. (Cf. censure n. 5.)
| 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn ii. xxiii. §49 How the practice, profession, and erudition of law is to be censured and governed. |
▪ III. censure
obs. form of censer.