variants or abridgement
1
: the action of abridging something : the state of being abridged
abridgment of rights
a book shortened by careful abridgment
2
: a shortened form of a work retaining the general sense and unity of the original
reading an abridgment of the original book

Examples of abridgment in a Sentence

this Italian-English pocket dictionary is an abridgment of the hardback edition
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The firm sued, calling the order a violation of the Constitution's First Amendment protections against government abridgment of speech and Fifth Amendment guarantee of due process - a requirement for the government to use a fair legal process. Mike Scarcella and David Thomas, USA Today, 3 May 2025 The court later ruled that Congress’ efforts to impose similar limits with respect to noncitizens being detained at Guantanamo Bay under the Military Commissions Act of 2006 were an unconstitutional abridgment of habeas corpus rights. Andrea Seielstad, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abbreggement, borrowed from Anglo-French abregement, from abreger "to abridge" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of abridgment was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abridgment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abridgment. Accessed 11 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

abridgment

noun
abridg·​ment
1
a
: the action of abridging
b
: the state of being abridged
2
: a shortened form of a written work

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