To censor means to remove or suppress parts of books, movies, speeches, or other communications because someone in authority considers them inappropriate or harmful. When a government censors the news, it prevents certain information from reaching the public. When a movie is censored for younger audiences, scenes with violence or scary content might be cut out.

A censor is the person who does this removing or blocking. Throughout history, censors have removed everything from political ideas they disagreed with to words they found offensive. Some censorship protects children from disturbing content, like when a children's library carefully selects age-appropriate books. Other censorship tries to hide uncomfortable truths, like when governments prevent journalists from reporting on corruption.

Today, we also use censorship to describe what happens when someone tries to silence ideas or information, whether by a government, a company, or another organization with power.

People often debate where to draw the line: protecting children from genuinely harmful material is different from preventing people from learning true information. The question of what should and shouldn't be censored remains one of the most important debates in free societies, touching on both the safety of communities and the freedom to speak, write, and learn.