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, 16% 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 next governor will be in office when the next census takes place and will have a tremendous impact on the redistricting of not only state legislative districts but also congressional ones.
—
Christopher Eric Bouchat, Baltimore Sun, 29 July 2025
The sociologists John Logan and Brian J. Stults, analyzing every decennial census from 1980 to 2020, found significant drops in Black-white segregation across American cities.
—Idrees Kahloon, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
India is now home to one of the world’s largest English-speaking populations, with more than 130 million people reporting English proficiency in the 2011 census.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 26 July 2025
Democrats had previously controlled the House, and the congressional maps had been drawn by courts following the 2000 census.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for census
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Christopher Eric Bouchat, Baltimore Sun, 29 July 2025
The sociologists John Logan and Brian J. Stults, analyzing every decennial census from 1980 to 2020, found significant drops in Black-white segregation across American cities.
—Idrees Kahloon, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
India is now home to one of the world’s largest English-speaking populations, with more than 130 million people reporting English proficiency in the 2011 census.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 26 July 2025
Democrats had previously controlled the House, and the congressional maps had been drawn by courts following the 2000 census.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for census
Cite this Entry
“Census.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/census. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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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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