census
noun
cen·sus
ˈsen(t)-səs 
1
: a count of the population and a property evaluation in early Rome
2
: a usually complete enumeration of a population
specifically
: a periodic governmental enumeration of population
According to the latest U.S. census, 20% of the population is of Hispanic or Latino origin.
census
transitive verb
Examples of census in a Sentence
According to the latest census, the racial makeup of the town has changed dramatically in the last 50 years.
a thorough census of all the grizzly bears living within the national park
Recent Examples on the Web
Try taking a census of the immobilized population of Los Angeles — otherwise known as our civic statues, rendered in metal or stone.
—
Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
This census is also particularly controversial, including questions on respondents’ caste for the first time in nearly a century.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 2 Apr. 2026
An overnight census in January found just 93 homeless people in the city — the lowest count since 1997 — but critics say the city is simply pushing people into jails and onto streets elsewhere in Miami-Dade County.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
The Census Bureau will collect exact population counts during the next official census in 2030, unless a community requests a special census before then.
—Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for census
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Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
This census is also particularly controversial, including questions on respondents’ caste for the first time in nearly a century.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 2 Apr. 2026
An overnight census in January found just 93 homeless people in the city — the lowest count since 1997 — but critics say the city is simply pushing people into jails and onto streets elsewhere in Miami-Dade County.
—Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2026
The Census Bureau will collect exact population counts during the next official census in 2030, unless a community requests a special census before then.
—Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for census
Cite this Entry
“Census.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/census. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
census
noun
cen·sus
ˈsen(t)-səs
: a counting of the population (as of a country, city, or town) and a gathering of related statistics done by a government every so often
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