Dictionary

abridge en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /əˈbɹɪd͡ʒ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /əˈbɹɪd͡ʒ/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English abreggen, abregge, abrigge (“curtail, lessen”), from Old French abregier, abreger, from Late Latin abbreviō, abbreviāre (“make brief”). Doublet of abbreviate.

Meanings

1. (archaic, transitive) To deprive; to cut off.
2. (archaic, rare, transitive) To debar from.
3. (transitive) To make shorter; to shorten in duration or extent.
   • The bridegroom, perceiving his condition, abridged the visit […] 1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC:
   • She retired her self to Sebaste, and abridged her train from State to necessity. 1639, Thomas Fuller, The Historie of the Holy Warre, Cambridge, Book 2, Chapter 31, p. 85:
4. (transitive) To shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense.
   • It was still necessary for the man who had been formerly saluted by the highest authority as dictator of the English language to supply his wants by constant toil. He abridged his Dictionary. He proposed to bring out an edition of Shakespeare by subscription, and many subscribers sent in their names and laid down their money; but he soon found the task so little to his taste that he turned to more attractive employments. 1911, Samuel Johnson, 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica:
   • Such an episode in the Island's grand naval story her naval historians naturally abridge; one of them (G.P.R. James) candidly acknowledging that fain would he pass it over did not "impartiality forbid fastidiousness." 1891, Henry Melville, chapter 3, in Billy Budd:
5. (transitive) Cut short; truncate.
6. (transitive) To curtail.
   • He had his rights abridged by the crooked sheriff.

Forms

Deriveds

abridged · reabridge · abridgable · abridgment · abridgeable · abridgement · abridger

Relateds

unabridged

Translations (95)

de kürzen (to make shorter) · ru сокраща́ть (to make shorter) · nl beperken (to make shorter) · es compendiar (to make shorter) · nl beknotten (to deprive) · be скарача́ць (to make shorter) · es resumir (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · da forkorte (to make shorter) · it abbreviare (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · nl bekorten (to make shorter) · af beknopter maak (to make shorter) · fr abréger (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · hu kurtít (to make shorter) · da sammendrage (to make shorter) · nb forkorte (to make shorter) · af verkort (to make shorter) · pt despojar (to deprive) · nl verkorten (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · be скараці́ць (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · mi whakapoto (to make shorter) · uk скороти́ти (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · af beperk (to make shorter) · ru усека́ть (to make shorter) · gd giorraich (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · pt abreviar (to make shorter) · ar قَصَّر (to make shorter) · cs zkrátit (to make shorter) · io abreviar (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · ru убавля́ть (to deprive) · sh skraćívati (to make shorter) · hu eltulajdonít (to deprive) · ga giorraigh (to make shorter) · ru укора́чивать (to make shorter) · be скараці́ць (to make shorter) · ru ограни́чивать (to deprive) · nl beroven (to deprive) · bg съкращавам (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · es abreviar (to make shorter) · bg съкращавам (to make shorter) · it limitare (to deprive) · gd giorraich (to make shorter) · bg лишавам (to deprive) · da forkorte (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · cs krátit (to make shorter) · hu rövidít (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · fi riistää (to deprive) · la abbreviō (to make shorter) · es condensar (to make shorter) · uk скоро́чувати (to make shorter) · fi viedä (to deprive) · fr abréger (to make shorter) · bg ограничавам (to deprive) · fi lyhentää (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · uk скоро́чувати (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · ru уре́зывать (to deprive) · fi lyhentää (to make shorter) · es abreviar (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · be скарача́ць (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · hu megkurtít (to make shorter) · pt privar (to deprive) · nl inkorten (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · sh skratiti (to make shorter) · grc συντέμνω (to make shorter) · hu megrövidít (to deprive) · pt resumir (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · nb avkorte (to deprive) · ru уменьша́ть (to deprive) · da sammendrage (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · mi whakapoto (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · nb sammendra (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · it privare (to deprive) · uk скороти́ти (to make shorter) · es privar (to deprive) · nl verkorten (to make shorter) · it ridurre (to make shorter) · fi supistaa (to make shorter) · nb forkorte (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · hu megrövidít (to make shorter) · nl inkorten (to make shorter) · ia abbreviar (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · fi typistää (to make shorter) · ru сокраща́ть (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · de verkürzen (to make shorter) · de verkürzen (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · pt abreviar (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · hu rövidít (to make shorter) · ru сумми́ровать (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · sh скраћи́вати (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · bg скъсявам (to make shorter) · ru уменьша́ть (to shorten or contract by using fewer words) · it accorciare (to make shorter) · pt encurtar (to make shorter) · it abbreviare (to make shorter) · nb sammendra (to make shorter) · sh skraćívati (to shorten or contract by using fewer words)