[L. census registering of Roman citizens and their property, registered property, wealth, f. censēre to rate, assess, estimate.]
1. The registration of citizens and their property in ancient Rome for purposes of taxation.
1634. Preston, New Covt., 337. If there should be a Census of men, as one may so say … as there was wont to be among the Romans.
1646. J. Benbrigge, Vsura Acc., 28. The first worke of the Census was to value every mans estate.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., II. 63. An accurate census, or survey, was the only equitable mode of ascertaining the proportion which every citizen should be obliged to contribute for the public service.
1880. Muirhead, Gaius, 469. Entry of the name of a slave, by his owner’s authority, in the census … was one of the Civil modes of freeing him.
† 2. Applied to certain taxes, esp. a capitation or poll-tax. Obs.
1613. Purchas, Pilgr., I. IV. xvi. 373. What is properly called Census, the poll-money of his subjects.
1756. Nugent, Montesquieu’s Spir. Laws (1758), II. XXX. xv. 370. What they called census at that time was a tax raised upon the bondmen.
1818. Hallam, Mid. Ages (1872), I. 326. He paid a capitation tax or census to the state.
1828–64. Tytler, Hist. Scot., I. 270. Pensions from the census of their burgesses.
3. An official enumeration of the population of a country or district, with various statistics relating to them. Also attrib.
A census of the population has been taken every tenth year since 1790 in the United States of America, since 1791 in France, and since 1801 in Great Britain. in Ireland the earliest census was in 1813, since which it has been taken simultaneously with that of Great Britain.
1769. Goldsm., Rom. Hist. (1786), II. 115. The census, or numbering the people.
1789. Constit. U.S., i. § 9. No capitation or other direct tax shall be laid unless in proportion to the census or enumeration [of inhabitants] herein before directed to be taken.
1820. J. Marshall, Const. Opin. (1839), 213. A census exhibiting the numbers of the respective states.
1846. M’Culloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), I. 448. Summary Account of the Population … at the periods at which Censuses have been taken.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. i. 3. A rough census was taken at the time of the Armada.
b. attrib., as in census return; census-paper, a paper left at each house, to be filled up with the names, ages, etc., of the inmates, and returned to the enumerators on the day of taking the census.
1846. M’Culloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), I. 611. The number given in the census returns.
