To censure someone means to formally and publicly express strong disapproval or criticism of their actions. It's more serious than everyday criticism: censure usually comes from an official group or authority and carries real weight.

When a professional organization censures one of its members, it's making an official statement that the person violated important rules or standards. When the United States Congress censures a senator or representative, it's a formal declaration that their behavior fell below acceptable standards. A school board might censure a member who behaved inappropriately at a meeting.

Censure sits between a simple warning and actual punishment. If you broke a minor rule, you might get a warning. If you did something truly serious, you might lose your position entirely. Censure falls in the middle: you keep your job or position, but everyone knows officially that what you did was wrong.

When you censure someone, you're creating a formal, public record that their actions crossed an important line. Think of it as the difference between a teacher saying “please stop talking” and a teacher writing up an official report about a student's behavior.