This week we continue our vocabulary-building series, “The Closing Word.” Each week we provide a new word to help build your vocabulary and show you an example of how to use it.
This week’s closing word:
censure
Pronounced: (SEN-shure)
Noun:
1. harsh criticism or disapproval 2. the state of being excommunicated
Verb:
rebuke formally
From Vocabulary.com: “The noun and verb are most closely associated with official expressions of disapproval, as when Congress censures a senator. The noun is from Latin cēnsūra “censorship,” from cēnsor “an ancient Roman censor.” The job of a Roman censor was to take the census and to supervise public morals and behavior. Our English word censor—-which means to suppress speech or other forms of expression—-is from this Latin word.”
Example:
“The ethics violation earned the agent a formal censure and placed his license in jeopardy.”
