abridgment

noun

abridg·​ment ə-ˈbrij-mənt How to pronounce abridgment (audio)
variants or abridgement
1
: the action of abridging something : the state of being abridged
abridgment of rights
a book shortened by careful abridgment
2
: a shortened form of a work retaining the general sense and unity of the original
reading an abridgment of the original book

Examples of abridgment in a Sentence

this Italian-English pocket dictionary is an abridgment of the hardback edition
Recent Examples on the Web One of the common frustrations of watching movies adapted from books is the inevitable abridgment of the source material. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2023 Nation/World As school gets underway and coronavirus cases rise, masks are returning to some American classrooms - and reviving the country’s fraught political debate over whether face coverings are common sense or an abridgment of freedom. Hannah Natanson, Fenit Nirappil, Maegan Vazquez, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Sep. 2023 Escalating the conflict over the teaching of race, the American Federation of Teachers’ New Hampshire affiliate filed a lawsuit Monday charging that the state’s new law, restricting certain lessons, is unconstitutionally vague and an abridgment of free speech. Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2021 Worcester’s abridgment of Webster appeared in 1829, and then Worcester’s own dictionary in 1830. Bryan A. Garner, National Review, 17 Mar. 2022 Project Veritas also sent a letter to Politico stating its views on the news outlet’s abridgment. Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2021 But Oakeshott’s most vehement critique of rationalism was its abridgment of the poetic aspect of the human condition. Nate Hochman, National Review, 18 Dec. 2020 On the other hand, his decision to allow the country’s security services to electronically monitor the movements of those who have been ordered into quarantine does raise real concerns about the abridgment of civil liberties. Jonathan S. Tobin, National Review, 20 Mar. 2020 The conductor Lothar Koenigs, working with an abridgment of the score that loses the overture and entire numbers, drew elegance and breadth from the Met orchestra and chorus. New York Times, 16 Dec. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abridgment.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English abbreggement, borrowed from Anglo-French abregement, from abreger "to abridge" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of abridgment was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near abridgment

Cite this Entry

“Abridgment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abridgment. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

abridgment

noun
abridg·​ment
variants or abridgement
1
a
: the action of abridging
b
: the state of being abridged
2
: a shortened form of a written work

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