census

IPA/ˈsensəs/
KK[sˈɛnsəs]IPA/ˈsensəs/

census — noun

  • censussingular
  • censusesplural

1. an official count of all the people in a country or area, done by a government t

1.nounB2
Definition

an official count of all the people in a country or area, done by a government to collect detailed information such as age, job, and where people live.

Example

The government conducts a national census every ten years to track changes in the population.

collocation: conduct a census

According to the latest census, the city's population has grown by fifteen percent since 2010.

collocation: according to the census

Common collocations
  • conduct a census
  • carry out a census
  • census data
  • census form
  • census taker
  • population census
  • national census
Synonyms
  • count

    simpler and more general; any numbered tally, not necessarily official or population-wide

  • survey

    broader; often samples a portion of the population rather than counting every person

  • enumeration

    very formal, technical term for a complete listing or count

  • tally

    informal; used for ongoing counts or running totals, not an official process

Grammar Patterns

take / conduct + census

according to + the + census

Usage Note

Census is a noun, not a verb. Use 'carry out a census' or 'take a census' instead of trying to verb it.

Common Mistakes

The government censused the population last year.
The government conducted a census of the population last year.
Census is a noun in standard English; there is no common verb form.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A census is an official government count of every person in a country, collecting detailed demographic data. A survey is broader — it can mean any information-gathering study, and typically samples only a portion of the population rather than counting everyone. A count is the simplest term, used for any numbered tally (a head count, a vote count), without the formality or scope of a census. A poll asks people's opinions or preferences rather than counting people themselves. For example: 'The census showed the population had aged significantly.' / 'A survey of 1,000 households found rising rent costs.' / 'The teacher did a quick head count of the students.' / 'The latest poll suggests the candidate is leading.'

census ↗survey ↗count ↗poll ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • census results
  • census bureau
  • census day
  • census office

Adverbs

Phrases

  • take a census
  • carry out a census
  • conduct a census

Prepositions

  • according to the census
  • in the census

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Census comes from Latin cēnsus, meaning 'the registration of citizens and their property,' from the verb cēnsēre 'to assess, estimate, or judge.' The word entered English in the early 1600s as a term for the Roman registration system, and later came to mean any official population count.