a count for official purposes, especially one to count the number of people living in a country and to collect information about them(官方的)调查,统计;(尤指)人口普查
We have a census in this country every ten years.我们在这个国家每10年进行一次人口普查。
She was stopped in her car for a traffic census.她被拦下来接受交通情况调查。