御史台是中国古代一种官署名。随着朝代变换，其职能逐渐演变。

秦汉以御史负责监察事务。御史所居官署称御史府，又称兰台、宪台。南朝梁陈、北魏魏齐时，称御史台。隋唐五代宋金元历代沿置。是中央行政监察机关，也是中央司法机关之一，负责纠察、弹劾官员、肃正纲纪。

唐朝贞观之前，御史台仅仅风闻奏事，没有司法权力。贞观间，御史台设置台狱，受理特殊的诉讼案件。光宅元年（684年），改御史台为左肃政台，专管京官、军队的监察事务，地方监察事务另设右肃政台负责。稍后，左台也可以监察地方。两台每年春秋两季派出专使以四十八条巡察州县，春季派遣的称风俗使，秋季派遣的称廉察使。神龙元年（705年），改成左右御史台。太极元年（712年）废右台，次年复置，稍后再废。

The Censorate (Chinese:御史台; pinyin:yùshǐtái, later 都察院 dūcháyuàn) was a high-level supervisory agency in ancient China, first established during the Qin dynasty (221–207 BCE).

The Censorate was a highly effective agency during the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). During the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the Censorate was a branch of the centralized bureaucracy, paralleling the Six Ministries and the five Chief Military Commissions, and was directly responsible to the emperor. The investigating censors were "the eyes and ears" of the emperor and checked administrators at each level to prevent corruption and malfeasance, a common feature of that period. Popular stories told of righteous censors revealing corruption as well as censors who accepted bribes. Generally speaking, they were feared and disliked, and had to move around constantly to perform their duties.