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Definition: census from Collins English Dictionary

n pl -suses

1 an official periodic count of a population including such information as sex, age, occupation, etc

2 any official count: a traffic census

3 (in ancient Rome) a registration of the population and a property evaluation for purposes of taxation

[C17: from Latin, from cēnsēre to assess]

› ˈcensual adj

Census

From Encyclopedia of Geographic Information Science
The term census usually refers to the complete process of preparation, collection, compilation, evaluation, analysis, and dissemination of data on demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics. In most countries, population censuses provide the only complete set of statistical information for all residents. Such information is fundamental for any GIS developed for socioeconomic and, often, environmental analysis purposes. While surveys collect more detailed information on topics of special interest, they tend to be based on fairly small samples that yield representative information only for large groups of the population. Censuses, on the other hand, collect a small set of essential indicators that are a critical component of the national statistical system. Statistical offices also conduct censuses of agriculture or of the economy (e.g., industrial establishments). In some instances, these are in fact large sample surveys that do not provide complete coverage. This entry…
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Full text Article Census

From World of Sociology, Gale
As mandated in the U. S. Constitution, a national...
A census is a complete enumeration of some population. In sociology, the term is most commonly used to refer to a population census, which is a complete count of individuals within some politically defined area such as a country or a city. A census of individuals, however, could involve all students…
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Full text Article census

From Cambridge Dictionary of Sociology
The process of collecting demographic, social, and economic data from all members of a population, censuses are distinct from surveys , which are focused on data from a subset, or sample, of a population. Censuses have a long history, and were first used in ancient Rome. In their modern form, …
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Full text Article census

From The Penguin Dictionary of Sociology
A census of population is the collection of demographic, economic and social data about all the people within the boundaries of a country or any other geographical unit. Censuses may be designed to provide information about topics other than population, for example industrial production, housing and…
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Full text Article census

From Encyclopedia of American Government and Civics
The census is one of the most important documents in the U.S. political and governmental system. The census provides the basic information on which to make such important decisions as allocating House of Representative seats among the states, redistricting seats within state legislatures and city…
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Full text Article census

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
periodic official count of the number of persons and their condition and of the resources of a country. In ancient times, among the Jews and Romans, such enumeration was mainly for taxation and conscription purposes. The introduction of the modern census—a periodic and thorough statistical…
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Full text Article census

From Encyclopedia of American Political Parties and Elections
The census is the mechanism for counting population in the United States as prescribed by the Constitution in Article 1, Section 2. While the primary purpose of the census is to provide an accurate population count for the division of congressional seats among the states, the population figures are…
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Full text Article CENSUS

From The Reader's Companion to American History
Every ten years, the U.S. government takes a census of the American population. The first census, in 1790, found that the population encompassed 3.9 million people. The census has been conducted regularly ever since, and the American population now approaches a quarter billion. In 1787 the…
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Full text Article Census

From The SAGE Encyclopedia of the Sociology of Religion
The aim of a census is to identify and enumerate every person in a given territory on a particular date. Most include both residents and visitors, although analyses usually focus on those who are present for more than just a visit. Although the aim of complete enumeration is seldom achieved…
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Full text Article census

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Official count of the population of a country, originally for military call-up and taxation, later for assessment of social trends as other information regarding age, sex, and occupation of each individual was included. The data collected are used by government departments in planning for the future…
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Full text Article CENSUS

From Historical Dictionary of Australia
The Australian census of population and housing grew out of official “musters” or counts of the convicts . In 1828, the New South Wales government produced a list of names of residents with some personal details and published a summary table. The next New South Wales census was held in 1833 and…
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