abridge

verb

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\ ə-ˈbrij

abridged; abridging

Definition of abridge

transitive verb

1 : to shorten by omission of words without sacrifice of sense : condense abridge a novel an abridged dictionary

2 : to shorten in duration or extent Tess wished to abridge her visit as much as possible …— Thomas Hardy

3 formal : to reduce in scope : diminish attempts to abridge the right of free speech

4 archaic : deprive

Other Words from abridge Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about abridge

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Choose the Right Synonym for abridge

shorten, curtail, abbreviate, abridge, retrench mean to reduce in extent. shorten implies reduction in length or duration. shorten a speech curtail adds an implication of cutting that in some way deprives of completeness or adequacy. ceremonies curtailed because of rain abbreviate implies a making shorter usually by omitting some part. using an abbreviated title abridge implies a reduction in compass or scope with retention of essential elements and a relative completeness in the result. the abridged version of the novel retrench suggests a reduction in extent or costs of something felt to be excessive. declining business forced the company to retrench

Examples of abridge in a Sentence

abridge a dictionary by omitting rare words the library's hours have been drastically abridged to cut costs

Recent Examples on the Web A few hours later, the trio would depart for the airport to board a Sunday night flight back to Waters’ native Portland, his season abridged by the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. — Hillel Kuttler, oregonlive, "Portland’s Dominic Waters returns home as his pro basketball season in Israel remains in limbo," 30 Mar. 2020 Some of Avila’s answers have been abridged for length. — Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers GM Al Avila encouraged: ‘Our team has actually taken a big step’," 8 Mar. 2020 But the First Amendment prohibits the government, not private companies, from abridging people's free speech rights. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Sorry, Tulsi Gabbard, Google can’t violate the First Amendment," 5 Mar. 2020 The 19th amendment was a transformative constitutional amendment that guaranteed that the right of citizens to vote would not be denied or abridged by the government because of a person’s gender. — Sam Boyer, cleveland, "Powell makes a difference; presented with Paul Harris Fellowship: Whit & Whimsey," 14 Feb. 2020 To many of Zuckerberg’s critics, however, the First Amendment—which prohibits the government from abridging free speech—has nothing at all to do with a corporation like Facebook. — Wired, "How Facebook Gets the First Amendment Backward," 7 Nov. 2019 The result was an international hit, which did well even in the United States, where a dubbed and abridged version won an Oscar. — Noel Murray, latimes.com, "New video: ‘Transit’ is another provocative thriller from director Christian Petzold," 28 June 2019 That amendment had a clause that finally said: State laws (in addition to federal laws) can’t abridge the rights of U.S. citizens. — Lillian Cunningham, Washington Post, "Episode 16 of the Constitutional podcast: ‘The First Amendment’," 29 Jan. 2018 The task fell to James Shapiro, a Columbia University English professor and Shakespeare scholar who is known for his work abridging the Bard’s plays. — Charles Passy, WSJ, "Philip Roth’s ‘Plot’ Thickens With Marathon Reading," 21 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abridge.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

5 Apr 2020

Cite this Entry

“Abridge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abridge. Accessed 2 Jun. 2020.

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More Definitions for abridge

abridge

verb

\ ə-ˈbrij

abridged; abridging

Kids Definition of abridge

: to shorten by leaving out some parts abridge a dictionary

abridge

transitive verb

\ ə-ˈbrij

abridged; abridging

Legal Definition of abridge

: to diminish or reduce in scope no State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States — U.S. Constitution amend. XIV

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