bureau of the census
LowFormal, Official, Technical
Definition
Meaning
The official US government agency responsible for collecting, compiling, and publishing demographic, social, and economic data about the American population and economy.
The term can also refer generally to any national or regional governmental organization tasked with conducting a systematic count of a population and gathering related statistical information, though it is most specifically associated with the United States.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Refers specifically to an official government institution, not a generic data-collecting body. It is a proper noun and is typically capitalized. In U.S. contexts, it often implies a degree of authority and reliability in its published statistics.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, the equivalent function is performed by the 'Office for National Statistics' (ONS). The term 'Bureau of the Census' is exclusively American and would be understood as a reference to the U.S. agency. In UK English, 'census bureau' (lowercase) might be used generically but is not an official name.
Connotations
In the US, it connotes a large-scale, federal, and periodic national undertaking. In the UK, the ONS has a similar connotation but with British institutional context.
Frequency
The phrase has very high frequency in specific US administrative, academic, and media contexts but is almost never used in general UK English, where 'ONS' or 'the census office' are standard.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[The] Bureau of the Census + VERB (reports, conducts, published)According to + Bureau of the CensusData/Statistics + from + Bureau of the CensusVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None specific to this institutional name]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in market research reports and demographic analysis for business planning, e.g., 'We sourced the regional income data from the Bureau of the Census.'
Academic
Commonly cited in sociology, economics, political science, and history papers as a primary data source, e.g., 'The study utilizes Bureau of the Census figures from 1990 to 2020.'
Everyday
Rarely used in casual conversation. Might appear in news reports about population changes or political redistricting.
Technical
Central to discussions of survey methodology, data collection, federal statistics, and decennial census operations.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The Office for National Statistics is tasked with conducting the census.
American English
- The Bureau will census the population next year.
- They are censusing hard-to-reach communities.
adverb
British English
- The population was recorded census-style.
American English
- The data was collected census-fashion every ten years.
adjective
British English
- The census data is invaluable.
- A census official visited.
American English
- Bureau of the Census data is public.
- A Census Bureau report was released.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The Bureau of the Census counts people.
- My mother got a form from the Bureau of the Census.
- According to the latest Bureau of the Census data, the city's population has grown.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a large government BUREAU with rows of people counting the entire population during the CENSUS.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE NATION'S SCORECARD; THE OFFICIAL TALLYMASTER
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'bureau' as 'бюро' in the sense of a detective agency. It means a government department. Do not confuse with 'Бюро переписи населения', which is the direct translation but not a standard Russian institutional name (they use 'Росстат' or 'служба статистики').
Common Mistakes
- Using lowercase ('bureau of the census') when referring specifically to the U.S. agency. Confusing it with a state or local census office. Using 'of' in the wrong place (e.g., 'Bureau for Census').
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary function of the Bureau of the Census?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, 'Bureau of the Census' specifically refers to the principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System. Other countries have their own equivalent bodies with different names (e.g., ONS in the UK, Statistics Canada).
It conducts a constitutionally mandated decennial (every 10 years) census of population and housing. It also runs numerous other surveys, like the American Community Survey, annually.
Yes, 'U.S. Census Bureau' is the more commonly used modern name for the same agency. 'Bureau of the Census' is a formal, traditional name.
Yes, a vast amount of historical and current data is freely available to the public through its official website, data.census.gov.