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Synonyms

redaction

American  
[ri-dak-shuhn] / rɪˈdæk ʃən /

noun

  1. the editing of text so as to hide or remove confidential or sensitive information.

    Transcripts of the hearing will be available online once the redaction is completed.

  2. the text or information that has been removed or hidden.

    Most of the redactions pertain to the privacy interests of the parties, including Social Security numbers, telephone numbers, and home addresses.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of redaction

First recorded in 1610–20; from French rédaction, equivalent to Latin redāct(us) + -iō -ion ( def. ); redact ( def. )

Explanation

Redaction is a fancy way to describe the process of organizing and editing something before publishing it. Your fifty-page story will need some redaction before the school literary magazine will accept it! You can use the noun redaction for the finished version of a text as well as the process of getting it into this form: "You can throw that copy away, because I've got the redaction ready for you to look at." It's also common to see redaction defined as a censored version of a document, like the redaction journalists receive from the CIA, with classified sections blacked out.

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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.

For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment Emily talks to Reginald Dwayne Betts and Titus Kaphar about their book, Redaction.

From Slate • Mar. 9, 2023

Redaction here functions as much to reveal as to conceal.

From New York Times • Aug. 11, 2022

"Redaction of these individuals' names would merely add a layer of confusion and opacity to the documents without any additional privacy benefit," they wrote.

From The Guardian • Mar. 19, 2013

Redaction, rē-dak′shun, n. the act of arranging in systematic order, esp. literary materials: the digest so made: an editorial staff.—v.t.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various