censée

Censée is the feminine form of the French adjective censé, used to express that someone or something is expected, supposed, or intended to do something. It is most commonly found in the construction être censé + infinitive, as in Elle est censée arriver à midi. It can also describe a noun, for example une promesse censée être tenue.

Grammatical notes: censée, like other adjectives, agrees with the gender and number of the subject. Masculine singular: censé; feminine singular: censée; masculine plural: censés; feminine plural: censées. The phrase is widely used in both formal and informal speech to convey expectation or normative assumption, rather than a guaranteed outcome.

Usage and nuance: the word signals that something is taken for granted or planned according to rules, routines, or common belief. It often implies a gap between what is anticipated and what actually occurs. Examples: Cette video est censée être disponible en ligne; Le rapport est censé être publié cette semaine. In translation, censée corresponds to “supposed,” “expected,” or “intended,” depending on context. Synonyms such as supposé or attendu can be used in similar contexts, with slight shifts in nuance.

Relation to censorship: censée is not related to censorship. The past participle for censoring is censuré (feminine censurée). Confusion can arise from surface similarity, but the meanings and grammatical behavior are distinct.

Overall, censée functions as a flexible marker of expectation or intention, tailored to feminine subjects and adaptable across tenses and constructions.