censure

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 19, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>censure</strong> &#149; \SEN-sher\&nbsp; &#149; <em>verb</em><br /> <p>To <em>censure</em> someone is to formally criticize or <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reprimand#h2">reprimand</a> them for an act or failure, especially from a position of authority.</p> <p>// He was <em>censured</em> by the committee for his failure to report the problem.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censure">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>“Aware of recent occurrences in Deltona, whose City Commission <em>censured</em> one of its members for naming a private citizen and posting insults and vulgar comments about him on social media, [Mayor Gary] Blair said Orange City should declare such behavior out of bounds.” — Al Everson, <em>The West Volusia Beacon</em> (DeLand, Florida), 9 Mar. 2023</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>If you’re among those who confuse <em>censure</em> and <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/censor#h2"><em>censor</em></a>, we don’t blame you. The two words are notably similar in spelling and pronunciation, and both typically imply acts of authority. It’s no surprise that they share a common ancestor: the Latin <em>cēnsēre</em>, meaning “to give as an opinion.” But here’s the uncensored truth: despite the similarities, <em>censure</em> and <em>censor</em> are wholly distinct in meaning. <em>Censure</em> means “to fault or reprimand,” often in an official way; <em>censor</em> means “to suppress or delete as objectionable.” So if you’re talking about removing objectionable content from a book or banning it from a library, the word you want is <em>censor</em>. And you can use <em>censure</em> to talk about criticizing, condemning, or reprimanding those pushing for censorship.</p> <