censorship

Introduction
Concerns relevant to censorship
- The status of "individuality”
- Requirements of self-government
- “Freedom of expression”
History of censorship
- Ancient Greece and Rome
- Ancient Israel and early Christianity
- Ancient China
- Medieval Christendom
- The 17th and 18th centuries
- Modern practices
  - The system in the former Soviet Union
  - Censorship under a military government
- Censorship in the United States
  - Freedom of the press
  - Freedom and truth
Character and freedom

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Fragment of a Roman fresco showing Socrates seated and draped in a white robe, with Greek text above, on a red background with visible cracks.

Engraved portrait of John Milton by Jacob Houbraken, showing Milton with shoulder-length hair, a lace collar, and period clothing, facing forward in an oval frame.

World map showing countries ranked by press freedom, color-coded from green (good) to red (very serious). Most of Europe and Canada are green, while Russia, China, and parts of Africa are red.

Portrait of John Stuart Mill wearing a suit and cravat, looking directly at the camera with a serious expression.

At a Glance

censorship summary

Related Questions

How did the Soviet Union use censorship to control news media and literature?
How did the office of the censor function in ancient Rome?
How does self-censorship differ from government-imposed censorship?
How does the Chinese government's internet censorship system work?
How does the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protect citizens from government censorship?
What are the most common reasons given for banning books in public school libraries?
What role did the Hays Code play in the censorship of American movies during the twentieth century?
What are the differences between domestic and international terrorism?
What are the types of terrorism?

Politics, Law & Government Law, Crime & Punishment

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External Websites

BBC - Arts and Ideas - Censorship, editing and self-censorship
PBS - Culture Shock - Definitions of Censorship
University of Washington Pressbooks - Media and Society: Critical Approaches - Censorship and Freedom of Speech
The Canadian Encyclopedia - Censorship
Humanities LibreTexts - Censorship
Boise State Pressbooks - Sociological Communication - Censorship and Freedom of Speech
American Civil Liberties Union - What Is Censorship?
LSE Research Online - Censorship and two types of self-censorship (PDF)
Cato Institute - Shining a Light on Censorship: How Transparency Can Curtail Government Social Media Censorship and More
American Library Association - First Amendment and Censorship

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

censorship - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
censorship - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Pericles Pericles, detail of a marble herm; in the Vatican Museum.

censorship

political science

Written by

George Anastaplo

Professor of Law, Loyola University, Chicago. Lecturer in the Liberal Arts, University of Chicago. Emeritus Professor of Political Science and of Philosophy, Rosary College, River Forest, Illinois. Author...

George Anastaplo

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 8, 2026 •History

the changing or the suppression or prohibition of speech or writing that is deemed subversive of the common good. It occurs in all manifestations of authority to some degree, but in modern times it has been of special importance in its relation to government and the rule of law. What is the state of press freedom in the 21st century? Censorship, as a term in English, goes back to the office of censor established in...

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