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• edit
  edit

  verb (used with object)

  to supervise or direct the preparation of (a newspaper, magazine, book, etc.); serve as editor of; direct the editorial policies of.
• edit.
  edit.

  abbreviation

  edited.

edit

¹ American  

[ed-it] / ˈɛd ɪt /

verb (used with object)

• edits,
  present (3rd person singular)
• edited,
  past participle,  past
• editing
  present participle

1. to supervise or direct the preparation of (a newspaper, magazine, book, etc.); serve as editor of; direct the editorial policies of.

2. to collect, prepare, and arrange (materials) for publication.

3. to revise or correct, as a manuscript.

4. to expunge; eliminate (often followed byout ).

   The author has edited out all references to his own family.

5. to add (usually followed byin ).

6. to prepare (motion-picture film, video or magnetic tape) by deleting, arranging, and splicing, by synchronizing the sound record with the film, etc.

7. Genetics. to alter the arrangement of (genes).

8. Computers. to modify or add to (data or text).

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noun

• edits
  plural

1. an instance of or the work of editing.

   automated machinery that allows a rapid edit of incoming news.

edit. ² American  

abbreviation

1. edited.

2. edition.

3. editor.

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edit British  

/ ˈɛdɪt /

verb

1. to prepare (text) for publication by checking and improving its accuracy, clarity, etc

2. to be in charge of (a publication, esp a periodical)

   he edits the local newspaper

3. to prepare (a film, tape, etc) by rearrangement, selection, or rejection of previously filmed or taped material

4. (tr) to modify (a computer file) by, for example, deleting, inserting, moving, or copying text

5. (often foll by out) to remove (incorrect or unwanted matter), as from a manuscript or film

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noun

1. informal an act of editing

   give the book a final edit

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overedit
  verb
• misedit
  verb (used with object)
• reedit
  verb (used with object)
• unedited
  adjective
• well-edited
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• edits
  plural

Participles

• editing
  present
• edited
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• edit
  simple
• edits
  simple
• have edited
  perfect
• has edited
  perfect
• am editing
  progressive
• are editing
  progressive
• is editing
  progressive
• have been editing
  perfect progressive
• has been editing
  perfect progressive

Past

• edited
  simple
• had edited
  perfect
• was editing
  progressive
• were editing
  progressive
• had been editing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will edit
  simple
• will have edited
  perfect
• will be editing
  progressive
• will have been editing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of edit

First recorded in 1785–95; 1915–20 edit for def. 6; partly back formation from editor, partly from French éditer, verb derivative of Latin ēditus “published, given out,” past participle of ēdere “to give out,” from ē- e- ¹ + -dere, combining form of dare “to give” ( cf. datum)

Explanation

The verb edit means to prepare writing for publication by correcting, revising, or proofreading. If you write for a newspaper, someone very skilled will edit your work before the public sees it. Edit can also mean to cut out. If you edit out all the references to Harry Potter from the famous series, you'll be left with much shorter books. Edit likely comes from the noun editor, meaning the person in charge of a final version of a text. You might also hear edit used when referring to video or film. If you edit a television show, for example, you assemble pieces of video or film footage to create a complete program.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

edit edit. edits edited editing

Job seekers are also taking steps to edit terms out of their profiles that might be less enticing to employers today than just a few years ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

“I edit differently now than I used to with the popularity of single-cam because the shows move much faster,” says Marshall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Li's team has grown to seven members working together to advertise online and to passersby, drive the bikes, and edit the footage, with each rider attracting around six to 12 customers a night.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

I try to edit out any identifying details to protect people’s identities, but that’s just me.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026

Unfortunately, this theory would also retroactively outlaw choreograph, diagnose, resurrect, edit, sculpt, sleepwalk, and hundreds of other verbs that have become completely unexceptionable.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

“You cannot edit. You’re dealing with real sets and real props, lit by real light. Stop-motion is to live-action what Ginger Rogers is to Fred Astaire: We do the same steps, backwards in high heels.”

From New York Times ● Jan. 3, 2023

"You're properly live, you can get people on the phone, and it's just happening in that moment. And whatever you say, that's it, there's no edit. And I've really enjoyed the slot."

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2022

“But a lot of stuff is quite self-indulgent and needs a serious edit. I’m reluctant to pick up something that’s more than 600 pages if I don’t have a previous relationship with that writer.”

From The Guardian ● Oct. 29, 2020

Far from being depressing, Prengaman said that “it’s a really rewarding thing to work on, to edit. It really teaches you the value of people’s lives.”

From Washington Times ● Jun. 3, 2020

When I was handed this story, I just thought, “Oh wow, another story to edit. Gee, this is great! I wish I could do this every day.”

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers

Its politics unfolded through "fit checks" - showing your outfit - "Get Ready With Me" videos, first-person vlogs, memes and sardonic edits.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Content tagged #backrooms on TikTok exceeds half a million posts, while Instagram fan pages such as @xbackroom, which have hundreds of thousands of followers, further extend the mythology through images, edits and speculative storytelling.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

People post photos old and new, blurry and clear, and ask for edits ranging from “Please remove my ex” to “Give me long hair” to “Make this look like a professional headshot.”

From Slate ● Jul. 19, 2026

Two days later, Madonna reposted AI fan edits of herself atop the Empire State Building’s spire, waving a “Confessions II” banner.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

“This will do,” Miss McDaniels says as she reviews all the edits.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

Today’s newsletter was curated and edited by Liz Webber and Cristina Roca in collaboration with Editor in Chief Emma Tucker.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

The filing alleged Flores deceptively edited the recordings to hide his own insensitive remarks and suggested he was motivated by a desire to win a large legal settlement in court.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

The following excerpt of their conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026

In a statement issued on Monday afternoon, Manivannan said they were "horrified" that the comments had been "selectively edited in order to mislead people and misrepresent me".

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Gay helped me write the speech that explained everything Mary Miller had done for me as my Guardian ad Litem, and Phil edited a video clip that illustrated my journey through foster care.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

In a clip on his personal TikTok, Burnham, thanks to clever editing, appears to toss up a mortarboard hat and catch a builder's helmet, as he promotes technical education.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

Ms. Gray, then 34, was the first person to receive treatment based on the Crispr method of editing genes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

More than half of workers now use AI at least occasionally at work, according to Gallup, often for writing and editing or research.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

Now the multicam editing community is fighting just to keep their category at the Emmys.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

The drafting and editing of the Farewell Address in effect became a metaphor for the kind of collective effort Washington was urging on the American people as a whole.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

Related Words

• adapt
• alter
• analyze
• annotate
• arrange
• assemble
• censor
• choose
• compile
• compose
• delete
• prepare
• publish
• rearrange
• revise
• select