unabridged

American  

[uhn-uh-brijd] / ˌʌn əˈbrɪdʒd /

adjective

1. not abridged or shortened, as a book.

   Synonyms:

   uncondensed, uncut, complete, entire

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noun

1. a dictionary that has not been reduced in size by omission of terms or definitions; the most comprehensive edition of a given dictionary.

unabridged British  

/ ˌʌnəˈbrɪdʒd /

adjective

1. (of a book, speech, etc) not reduced in length by condensing

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Etymology

Origin of unabridged

1590–1600; un- ¹ + abridged

Explanation

When a book is unabridged it's the whole thing, with nothing cut out. If you're seeking a definition for a very unusual word, you may need to look in an unabridged dictionary. To "abridge" something is to shorten it, so an unabridged edition has not been shortened. I can see that the short version of Shakespeare's works is easier to carry around, but if you want to enjoy every line, read the unabridged version. Unabridged is almost always used to describe books, but you can use it for spoken tales as well. You might not be so excited to hear the unabridged account of your sister's day at the mall.

Example Sentences

That happens with movies too, of course, but with a film you typically get a condensed version, while with unabridged audiobooks you don’t miss a word of the original writing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 19, 2025

But the big attraction was the bonus tracks, including the unabridged, 10-minute version of her break-up ballad All Too Well - described by Variety magazine as the "holy grail" of the star's back catalogue.

From BBC • May 30, 2025

Voters would be winners by hearing unabridged arguments from both sides.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2023

“I just don’t know when anybody would be able to completely master the unabridged dictionary,” Dasari says.

From Washington Times • May 29, 2023

I’d give Ethan and Jessie the full, unabridged post office story, and we’d probably make a football-style Operation Hudson game plan in my notes app.

From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera