Abridged
/ˈæbridʒt/
verbIntermediate📊CommonLiterature
1 meaning1 question
Definitions
1
To make (something, especially a book or film) shorter by leaving out parts of it.
/ˈæbridʒt/
verbneutralIntermediate
Literature
shorten by omitting unnecessary parts
The council decided to abridge the lengthy report to make it more accessible for the public.
💡 Simply: To make something shorter by leaving out parts.
More Examples
2
The movie was abridged for television.
How It's Used
General
"The book has been abridged to fit into the school curriculum."
From Old English 'brycgan' (to shorten) via Middle English 'abreiden' and French 'abregier'.
First used in the 15th century, abridged initially referred to the shortening of legal documents.
Memory tip
Imagine bridging a gap with only the essential support structures.
Word Origin
LanguageOld English
Original meaning
"shorten, reduce"
Base: abridge
abridged editionabridged version
Common misspellings
abrigedabridgment
Practice
Usage
60%Spoken
40%Written