abridge

American  

[uh-brij] / əˈbrɪdʒ /

verb (used with object)

• abridges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• abridged,
  past participle,  past
• abridging
  present participle

1. to shorten by omissions while retaining the basic contents.

   to abridge a reference book.

   Synonyms:

   epitomize, summarize, digest, abstract, condense

   Antonyms:

   lengthen

2. 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

3. to deprive; cut off.

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abridge British  

/ əˈbrɪdʒ /

verb

1. to reduce the length of (a written work) by condensing or rewriting

2. to curtail; diminish

3. archaic to deprive of (privileges, rights, etc)

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Synonym Usage

See shorten.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

• abridging
  present
• abridged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• abridge
  simple
• abridges
  simple
• have abridged
  perfect
• has abridged
  perfect
• am abridging
  progressive
• are abridging
  progressive
• is abridging
  progressive
• have been abridging
  perfect progressive
• has been abridging
  perfect progressive

Past

• abridged
  simple
• had abridged
  perfect
• was abridging
  progressive
• were abridging
  progressive
• had been abridging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will abridge
  simple
• will have abridged
  perfect
• will be abridging
  progressive
• will have been abridging
  perfect progressive

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”; see a- ⁴, abbreviate

Explanation

So the editor wants to cut your epic 800-page history of the stapler to a 150-page summary instead. Don't cry — he just wants to abridge your masterpiece, trimming it down to the more readable essential elements. Synonymous with abbreviate, condense and cut short, abridge comes from the Latin word abreviare, which means "to shorten." Although it's usually used in reference to wordy texts, one can also abridge or shorten a piece of clothing; a miniskirt is just an abridged version of the old floor length hoop skirt, for example. But abridging something isn't always good: If your civil rights are abridged, they've been lessened in some way.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abridge abridges abridged abridging

The government may abridge those rights only by establishing that the LPR fits within one of the exceptions.

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026

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

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

Some former agency officials took offense at the note, seeing it as an attempt to silence retired officers or abridge their First Amendment rights.

From New York Times ● Jan. 26, 2021

“Listen, you guys published a book just after World War I. Do you think it might be a good idea for me to abridge it and we’d republish it now?”

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

She abridges its plot, removing the second-generation narrative that bookends Brontë’s writing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026

The amendment speaks solely to governmental action that abridges free speech, not to societal actions or the actions of other individuals.

From Washington Times ● Apr. 26, 2022

“It does not entitle the Florida Supreme Court to adopt, or this court to endorse, a rule of judicial conduct that abridges candidates’ speech in the judicial election that the Florida Constitution prescribes.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2015

“While her father abuts the tempest/ and abridges the rain.”

From Slate

I do not say, Sir, that a form of words alters the nature of the law, or abridges the power of the lawgiver.

From The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 02 (of 12) by Edmund Burke

An abridged version of the ceremonies will be broadcast Sept. 12 on FXX and stream on Hulu the following day.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

The 15th Amendment says that the right to vote shall not be denied or abridged on account of race.

From Slate ● May 8, 2026

“The Adding Machine” is often abridged to satisfy contemporary tastes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026

In 1991, Knopf published an abridged version of the journals with the Cheever family’s assistance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025

I will paint for him not only the visible universe, but all that he can conceive of nature’s immensity in the womb of this abridged atom.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

“Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

The 1st Amendment guarantees only that the government refrains from abridging freedom of speech.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2024

The First Amendment prohibits Congress from abridging free speech, as well as from establishing an official religion or limiting religious liberty.

From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2024

On one hand, because their actions are those of the government, they are bound to follow rules that limit government power, such as the Constitution’s prohibition against abridging free speech.

From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2023

All abridging remarks and other comments will be in this fancy italic type so you’ll know.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

Related Words

• abbreviate
• curtail
• truncate