What Is the Plural of Census?
The Quick Answer
The plural of "census" is "censuses," despite its Latin origins.- Censuses were originally the only method of collecting national demographic data.
- Population censuses rely on a sampling frame to count the population.
Are You Good at Plurals?
Here's a quick test.The Standard Rules for Forming the Plurals
The table below shows the standard rules for forming the plurals of nouns in English.| Type | Example of Type | Forming the Plural | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Nouns |  lamp scythe |
add s | lamps scythes |
| Noun Ending s, sh, ch, x or z | dress census |
add es | dresses censuses (Unlike some words with foreign stems (e.g., nucleus with the plural "nuclei"), "census" forms its plural using the standard rules of English.) |
| Nouns ending [consonant] o | hero zero tomato |
add either s or es (There are no rules for this - you have to know.) |
heroes zeros tomatoes |
| Nouns ending [vowel] o | patio ratio
|
add s | patios ratios |
| Nouns ending [consonant] y | story penny |
change the y to an i and add es | stories pennies |
| Nouns ending [vowel] y | donkey chimney
|
add s | donkeys chimneys |
| Nouns ending f or fe | dwarf hoof
|
ves and/or s (There are no rules - you have to know.) |
dwarfs hooves or
hoofs |
| Exceptions | man louse
|
some nouns undergo a vowel or letters change | men lice |
| More exceptions | salmon sheep
|
some nouns do not change at all | salmon sheep |
| Foreign rulings | census medium
|
some nouns adopt foreign rulings | (The Latin plural "census" (with a long u) is not used.) media |
Why Is There Confusion over the Plural of Census?
The rules for pluralizing Latin nouns (like "census") are inconsistent. For example:- Some retain their Latin plural:
- Some have dropped their Latin plural:
- referendum becomes "referendums"
- datum becomes "datums"
("Data" can now be considered a new word meaning information.)
- Some use both plurals:
This page was written by Craig Shrives.
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