Synonyms

abridge

American

[uh-brij] / əˈbrɪdʒ /

verb (used with object)

abridged, abridging

to shorten by omissions while retaining the basic contents.

to abridge a reference book.

Synonyms:

epitomize, summarize, digest, abstract, condense

Antonyms:

lengthen
to reduce or lessen in duration, scope, authority, etc.; diminish; curtail: to abridge one's freedom.

to abridge a visit;
to abridge one's freedom.

Synonyms:

reduce, contract

Antonyms:

expand
to deprive; cut off.

abridge British

/ əˈbrɪdʒ /

verb

to reduce the length of (a written work) by condensing or rewriting
to curtail; diminish
archaic to deprive of (privileges, rights, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See shorten.

Other Word Forms

abridgable adjective
abridgeable adjective
abridger noun
nonabridgable adjective
reabridge verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of abridge

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English abreggen, abriggen, from Middle French abreg(i)er, from Late Latin abbreviāre “to shorten”; a- ⁴, abbreviate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They debated and ultimately approved the extension of birthright citizenship to these children, concluding that their parents’ lack of American citizenship should not abridge their own civil rights.

From Slate • Jan. 21, 2025

In televised remarks before the cabinet session, Netanyahu said it was "unthinkable" that the government would abridge the right to demonstrate or support any violence against protesters.

From Reuters • Jul. 9, 2023

That she was just as good as any state legislator, and possessed certain rights they could not abridge!

From Washington Post • Nov. 30, 2021

The 15th Amendment said that neither the United States nor "any state" could deny or abridge the right to vote "on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."

From Salon • May 22, 2021

If you’re going to abridge a book in the author’s own words, you can’t go around sticking your own in.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023