abridged

American  

[uh-brijd] / əˈbrɪdʒd /

adjective

1. (of a book, document, presentation, etc.) shortened by omitting less important parts while retaining the basic content.

   I didn't realize it was an abridged audiobook until I was surprised by how fast it was over.

2. reduced or lessened in duration, scope, authority, etc.; diminished or curtailed.

   Any time anyone's opportunity to vote is hampered, we need to do whatever we can to see that those abridged rights are faced, challenged, and changed.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of abridge.

Etymology

Origin of abridged

abridge ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

An abridged version of a book is a shortened version: it's not complete because parts have been cut or omitted. Sometimes you have time to read all of something, but other times you don't. When you need to save time, you might need to look at an abridged version of a book. This is also called the "Reader's Digest version" of something, because that magazine publishes many abridged pieces. Reading an abridged text may save time, but don't kid yourself: the stuff left out was important too. If you really like an author, forget the abridged version and read the whole thing.

Example Sentences

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

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

I first encountered Louisa May Alcott in an abridged children’s edition of “Little Women” that was brimming with pastel illustrations and tidy moral lessons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

This followed a 13-part, 13-hour series—Vietnam: A Television History—that premiered on PBS over 30 years earlier, in 1983, before being rebroadcast in abridged form on public television’s American Experience in 1997.

From Slate • Apr. 30, 2025

There are abridged biographies of certain people throughout the book.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2024

“We’re doing the abridged Miss Teen Dream tonight.”

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray

Related Words

• deficient
• fragmentary
• inadequate
• insufficient
• lacking
• partial
• sketchy