What is a censor? This word is obsolete, therefore it is rarely used in everyday life. After all, it refers to the performance of such official duties, which now, although they exist, are called differently. So who is this censor? Let's try to figure it out.
What is said in the dictionary?
What does censor mean? The definition of this word in the dictionary is presented in three versions.
- The first of them is marked “historical” and denotes an official existing in ancient Rome. His responsibilities included assessing the property of Roman citizens, as well as monitoring the receipt of taxes and compliance with moral principles in society. Example: “The emergence of the institution of censors in Rome was caused by the need to limit the arbitrariness of consuls, who enjoyed complete financial independence from the Senate. Therefore, the introduction of censorship was a major victory in the confrontation between the magistracy and the Senate, passing into the hands of the latter the basis of state power - public finances. ”
- In the second sense, a censor is an official who works in a state or church institution that censors. Example: “When Semenov delivered the play to the publisher, it was rewritten for the fourth time and suffered greatly from corrections, so the author awaited the censor’s next comments with trepidation.”
Figuratively
The third meaning of the word being studied is figurative, used in colloquial speech. This refers to a person who strictly watches and exerts excessive pressure on someone from his environment. Also, the same name exists in psychology.
Example 1: “You don’t need to worry so much about negative comments on the page that indicate the low moral level of the participants in the dialogue, because you are not a censor,” Marina said busily to her friend.
Example 2: “Sigmund Freud introduced the term“ censor ”into psychology. Thus, a mechanism was designated that is designed to suppress or change unconscious desires and thoughts. It is believed that the superego is the place of its localization, but Freud argued that he is also present in the ego itself. ”
Synonyms and etymology
In order to better understand the meaning of the word, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with its synonyms and etymology. Synonyms for the word "censor" are:
- reviewer;
- expert;
- critic;
- connoisseur;
- detractor;
- referee;
- aristarchus;
- zoil.
As for the origin of the word being studied, it goes back to ancient times. According to etymologists, his ancestor is in the pre-Indo-European language in the form of the verb kens, meaning "declare". Further in the Latin language appeared the verb censere in the meaning of "evaluate, determine the price." From it a noun censura was formed - "judgment", from which the noun censor originated.
Other values
In addition to the above, the word censor has a number of other interpretations. These include such as:
- name of the Gallo-Roman statesman, consul, who lived in the middle of the III century;
- Ukrainian rock band, the musical direction of which is progressive progressive power metal - “progressive power metal”;
- Russian science fiction film, which refers to low-budget, being filmed on public donations.
- Censor.net is the name of the Ukrainian news Internet portal.
At the end of the study of the question: “Censor, who is this?” consider in more detail what this word meant in ancient Rome.
Functions of Roman Censors
This post was created in Rome in the 5th century BC. e. and included the performance of duties such as:
- in fact, qualification - a census of citizens with a designation of their property in order to determine their position - socio-political, military, taxable;
- observation of morals and sentencing; publication of edicts against luxury;
- financial control of the return of public lands at the mercy, taxes, customs duties, trade, arms supplies, etc .;
- supervision of the construction, maintenance and maintenance of public buildings and institutions.