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
Zoom out: Utah had the highest overall gender wage gap in 2023 ($21,400), while Vermont had the lowest (about $8,500), according to census data.
—
Karri Peifer, Axios, 8 Apr. 2025
This work is of particular importance because census data determines how federal funding is allocated.
—Todd Aagaard, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2025
There are more languages spoken here —185, according to the census — than in any city but New York.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Spanish was the second most spoken language at home in 2019, according to the census report, with about 40 million speakers.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for census
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Karri Peifer, Axios, 8 Apr. 2025
This work is of particular importance because census data determines how federal funding is allocated.
—Todd Aagaard, The Conversation, 3 Apr. 2025
There are more languages spoken here —185, according to the census — than in any city but New York.
—Jessica Garrison, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2025
Spanish was the second most spoken language at home in 2019, according to the census report, with about 40 million speakers.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 10 Apr. 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 21 Apr. 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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