unabridged

Meanings

1. 1adjectivenot comparable

   Complete and not shortened, as when a book or recording is given in full.

   Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: an unabridged edition.

   Patterns

   • an unabridged edition
   • unabridged version

   I prefer the unabridged edition because it includes every chapter.

   The unabridged audiobook runs for over thirty hours.

   She read the unabridged text of the speech.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   Said of a large dictionary that includes all the words, with no entries left out for brevity.

   Grammar: Used before a noun: an unabridged dictionary.

   Patterns

   • an unabridged dictionary

   The library keeps an unabridged dictionary on a stand.

   The unabridged volume lists thousands of rare words.

   He bought an unabridged dictionary for his research.

Common combinations

unabridged version

The unabridged version is twice as long.

unabridged edition

This is the unabridged edition of the novel.

unabridged audiobook

The unabridged audiobook has no cuts.

unabridged dictionary

An unabridged dictionary is too heavy to carry.

complete and unabridged

The book is complete and unabridged.

Synonyms and how they differ

complete

Complete is broader and means nothing is missing, while unabridged specifically says nothing was cut from a longer original.

uncut

Uncut is common for films and recordings, while unabridged is preferred for books and dictionaries.

full-length

Full-length only describes size, not whether a shorter version exists.

uncondensed

Uncondensed is rare and technical, whereas unabridged is the standard word for texts.

Opposites

Word family

abridge verb

to shorten a text while keeping the main points

abridged adjective

shortened

abridgment noun

a shortened version of a text

Commonly confused: unabridged or unabbreviated?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “unabridged”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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