noun / verb

census

SEN-suhs/ˈsensəs/

An official count and survey of a population, or carrying one out.

The national census records how many people live in each household.

Census worker counts households using clipboard at a row of homes with varied-age residents visible.

Etymology

censusLatinenrollment and property assessment

Latin census recorded citizens’ names and assessed their property, chiefly for taxation. The modern meaning shifts the emphasis from assessing taxable wealth to officially counting the population.

In context

CrashCourse9:19

So why collect census data--instead of just sampling the population? In the US--the Census could cost more than 15 Billion dollars in 2020.

Sampling Methods and Bias with Surveys: Crash Course Statistics #10

More examples

Researchers census the island's bird population each spring.
The census results reveal changes in the town's population.
The agency has censused every district.

Forms

census · censuses · censused · censusing

Similar words

survey: Often studies a sample rather than an entire population.
count: Records numbers without necessarily additional information.