Meaning & use
abridged
Last updated
“abridged” is a form of “abridge”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Shortened by removing some content while keeping the main ideas of the original work.
Grammar: Often before a noun: an abridged edition; it can also follow be: the edition is abridged.
Patterns
- abridged edition
- abridged version
- abridged from something
The abridged version is easier for intermediate readers.
This audiobook is abridged from the original memoir.
verbtransitiveformal
Shortened a text by cutting out material while preserving its essential content; past tense or past participle of abridge.
Grammar: Used with an object: abridged the manuscript; as a participle, it often forms passive clauses.
Patterns
- abridged something
- was abridged from something
- abridged something for someone
The editor abridged the manuscript before publication.
The speech was abridged for the school assembly.
Common combinations
- abridged edition
- She read an abridged edition of the classic.
- abridged version
- The abridged version keeps the main plot.
- abridged audiobook
- I listened to an abridged audiobook during the drive.
- abridged from the original
- The script was abridged from the original stage play.
Synonyms and how they differ
- condensed
- Often implies the same ideas are packed into a tighter form, while abridged stresses material has been cut.
- shortened
- Neutral and broader; it can describe anything made shorter, not only edited writing or speech.
- cut
- More informal and direct; it does not necessarily imply that the main content is preserved.
Opposites
Word family
- abridge verb
- Base form meaning to shorten a work while keeping its main content.
- abridgment noun
- A shortened version or the act of shortening; British spelling abridgement.
- abridging verb
- The -ing form used for ongoing action or as a gerund.
Commonly confused: abridged or abbreviated? abridged or unabridged?
abridged vs abbreviated
Abbreviated describes shortened words or phrases, while abridged describes shortened books, speeches, or recordings.
abridged vs unabridged
Unabridged means nothing important has been cut; abridged means parts have been removed.
Practice
The ___ edition keeps the main plot but cuts several side stories.
Choose one answer.
Abridged means shortened while preserving the main ideas. Unabridged is the tempting opposite; abbreviated applies to words, not whole editions.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “abridged”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.