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TOEIC Link Part 5: censure versus censor

Censure and censor share a root and sound nearly alike but differ in action: censure means to express formal disapproval or criticism, while censor means to remove or suppress objectionable content. Part 5 tests whether you match the word to blame versus suppression.

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TOEIC Link Part 5: censure versus censor

Censure and censor come from the same Latin family and sound almost identical, but they name different actions and behave as different words. Censure means to express formal, official disapproval — to criticize or reprimand. Censor means to examine and remove or suppress material considered objectionable, and it also names the official who does so. Part 5 places them where either could look right, so it checks whether you mean to blame or to suppress. For the wider set of look-alike traps, start with the commonly confused word pairs master index.

The core rule: disapproval versus suppression

  • censure (verb or noun) = to formally criticize or reprimand; official disapproval. The board voted to censure the executive for the breach. / The report drew sharp censure from regulators. It answers how was the conduct judged? — condemned. Link the -sure ending to a stern sure verdict of blame: to censure is to disapprove openly.
  • censor (verb or noun) = to remove or block objectionable content; the person who does it. The studio had to censor several scenes before release. / The censor deleted the sensitive figures from the memo. It answers what was cut or hidden? — the content. Link the -or ending to an actor or editor who cuts material: to censor is to suppress.

The endings do the memory work: censure ends in -sure, and it is about being sure to voice blame; censor ends in -or, like an agent who edits or cuts. One condemns behavior; the other deletes content.

Why Part 5 likes this pair

Both can work as verbs, so the sentence's object separates them. If the object is a person or their conduct being criticized, you need censure. If the object is content, information, or media being cut or blocked, you need censor.

Lawmakers moved to __ the official for misusing public funds.

The official's conduct is condemned, so this is censure.

The agency will __ any confidential details before publishing the file.

The details are removed, so this is censor.

Spotting the clue

Decide whether the sentence is about judging conduct or removing content:

  • Does the word mean to formally criticize or reprimand someone? → choose censure (the committee censured the manager).
  • Does the word mean to cut, block, or suppress material? → choose censor (censor the report, the censor blocked the article).

A quick test: can you replace the word with "reprimand" and keep the meaning? Then it is censure. Can you replace it with "edit out" or "suppress"? Then it is censor. When the sentence targets a person's actions, lean censure; when it targets words, images, or information, lean censor. For more sound-alike verbs that hide in Part 5, see the sound-alike verb pairs study guide.