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
The city has a population of approximately 2400 people, according to the most recent census, while the Associated Press reported 2700 people lived in the small town.
—
Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 11 Feb. 2026
In the years since the 2010 census, CD-6’s demographic had shifted considerably.
—Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
Some neighborhoods are combined because census tracts and block groups used in our calculations overlap neighborhood boundaries.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Feb. 2026
In the 1900 census, 29 percent of Minnesotans were foreign born.
—Harry Boyte, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for census
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 11 Feb. 2026
In the years since the 2010 census, CD-6’s demographic had shifted considerably.
—Literary Hub, 9 Feb. 2026
Some neighborhoods are combined because census tracts and block groups used in our calculations overlap neighborhood boundaries.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Feb. 2026
In the 1900 census, 29 percent of Minnesotans were foreign born.
—Harry Boyte, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 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 15 Feb. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
