Meaning & use
abridging
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“abridging” is a form of “abridge”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbtransitive
Shortening a piece of writing or speech by removing less essential parts while keeping its main content; the -ing form of abridge.
Grammar: Used as a gerund after verbs like involve or as a present participle: is abridging the text.
Patterns
- abridging something
- abridging something for someone
- involve abridging something
Abridging the report took longer than we expected.
She is abridging the novel for a younger audience.
Common combinations
- abridging a text
- Abridging a text requires careful judgment.
- abridging a novel
- Abridging a novel can make it accessible to new readers.
- abridging rights
- The case concerns abridging rights during an emergency.
Synonyms and how they differ
- shortening
- Neutral gerund for making anything shorter; abridging suggests careful selection in a work or formal reduction of rights.
- condensing
- Focuses on compressing ideas into less space rather than simply cutting material.
- curtailing
- Better for limiting freedoms or actions, not for editing a book or speech.
Opposites
Word family
- abridge verb
- Base form meaning to shorten while preserving the main content.
- abridged adjective
- Describes a work that has been shortened in this way.
- abridgment noun
- The act or result of abridging; British spelling abridgement.
Commonly confused: abridging or bridging? abridging or board?
abridging vs bridging
Bridging comes from bridge and means connecting gaps; abridging means shortening, despite the similar spelling.
abridging vs board
Do not confuse abridging with boarding; the extra letters change both spelling and meaning.
Practice
The job involves ___ the report to two pages.
Choose one answer.
After involve, English uses the -ing form: involves abridging. To abridge is tempting after verbs like want, but it does not fit after involves.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “abridging”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.