edit

verb

ed·it | \ˈe-dət

edited; editing; edits

Definition of edit

(Entry 1 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to prepare (something, such as literary material) for publication or public presentation edit a manuscript

b : to assemble (something, such as a moving picture or tape recording) by cutting and rearranging edit a film

c : to alter, adapt, or refine especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose carefully edited the speech edit a data file

2 : to direct the publication of edits the daily newspaper

3 : delete —usually used with out

4 : to modify a gene or gene product of by inserting, deleting, or replacing DNA sequences The first work attempting to edit human embryos grabbed headlines last week.— Penny Sarchet and Michael Le Page — see gene editing

edit

noun

Definition of edit (Entry 2 of 2)

: an instance or result of editing

Other Words from edit Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about edit

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Synonyms for edit

Synonyms: Verb

redraft, revamp, revise, rework

Examples of edit in a Sentence

Verb

This chapter needs to be edited. The book was poorly edited. The stories have been edited for a younger audience. Students learn to edit their essays for grammar and punctuation. The software allows you to edit videos on your computer. This film has been edited for television. an anthology of ancient poetry edited by a local professor

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Read edited excerpts from our hour-long conversation, below. — Steff Yotka, Vogue, "David Casavant Is More Than Just an Archivist—Peek Inside His Debut Book," 31 Oct. 2018 His successor once edited Tatler, a society magazine, and used to discuss poetry over breakfast with Lucian Freud. — The Economist, "Paul Dacre, the Daily Mail’s “conductor”, passes the baton," 14 June 2018 The gene-editing tool is a combination of a DNA-snipping enzyme called Cas9, and little snippets of RNA that guide it to a specific spot in the genome. — Megan Molteni, WIRED, "Inside a Chemist’s Quest to Hack Evolution and Cure Genetic Disease," 12 June 2018 The Air's base 8GB of RAM and a dual-Core i5 processor is plenty of power for anyone who isn’t editing video or gaming. — Alexander George, Popular Mechanics, "So, About That Retina Macbook Air Keyboard," 30 Oct. 2018 Unfortunately, real attacks did happen in London, but WWE could have just edited it out. — Justin Barrasso, SI.com, "The Week in Wrestling: Tama Tonga Says Bullet Club Civil War ‘Has Been a Long Time Coming’," 11 July 2018 Below are edited excerpts from an interview with Thiel. — Diane Daniel, BostonGlobe.com, "An interview with the founder of Hideaways, precursor to the likes of VRBO and HomeAway," 12 June 2018 This story has been edited to correct the amount of the Hallfords' tax increase. — Gordon Dickson And Nicholas Sakelaris, star-telegram, "Priced out of their home? North Texans see tax bill rise $1,200 in five years," 6 July 2018 How should scientists wield the extraordinary power of the gene-editing technique CRISPR? — National Geographic, "How We've Tackled the Evolving Science of DNA," 25 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

And so the site’s edit includes everything from Saint Laurent Belle de Jour dresses to ’90s Jil Sander pantsuits and lots (and lots) of Phoebe Philo’s Celine. — Zoe Ruffner, Vogue, "How an American in Paris Dresses From 9 to 5," 22 Oct. 2018 Kim Kardashian West and her sisters, for example, have been called out time and again for allegedly altering their faces and bodies, but Kardashian West's latest apparent edit is drawing an even higher level of criticism than usual. — Andrea Park, Allure, "People Think Kim Kardashian West Photoshopped Baby Chicago’s Hair and Face," 9 Oct. 2018 Prior to the decision to pull it, Barris and executives went back-and-forth on edits for the episode. — Katherine Lam, Fox News, "'Black-ish' creator Kenya Barris calls Roseanne Barr a 'monster,' talks shelved anti-Trump episode," 13 Sep. 2018 Defense attorneys were able to determine that at least one edit was made to the video beyond the edits prosecutors had acknowledged. — Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, "Second Inauguration Day trial ends with no conviction of four defendants," 7 June 2018 Consider this your capsule edit of attractions: the definitive list of what to do in Barcelona for the time-smart traveler. — Gemma Askham, Condé Nast Traveler, "20 Best Things to Do in Barcelona," 3 Mar. 2018 The hostess with the mostest will relish in Hermes' set of fragrant orange-scented soaps and any multi-tasking earth mother will surely appreciate Tata Harper's curated edit of all-natural skincare products, chicly housed in a verdant vanity case. — Jenna Rennert, Vogue, "11 Beauty Gifts for Mom That Guarantee Favorite Child Status," 9 Nov. 2018 At the beginning of this summer, the film had come to a closer edit as far as what was going to be released. — Nick Williams, Harper's BAZAAR, "A Star Is Born," 30 Oct. 2018 That criticism stems from what many see as an unnecessary and inappropriate edit that Kardashian West made to a photo of her baby daughter, Chicago West, cuddling with Kylie Jenner's daughter, Stormi Webster. — Andrea Park, Allure, "People Think Kim Kardashian West Photoshopped Baby Chicago’s Hair and Face," 9 Oct. 2018

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