abridgment
abridgment — noun
- abridgmentsingular
- abridgmentsplural
1. a shorter form of a book, article, or other written work that keeps the main sto
a shorter form of a book, article, or other written work that keeps the main story and ideas but removes less important parts
Rin bought an abridgment of War and Peace to read on the long train ride home.
abridgment + of + [book title]
The librarian handed Manuela an abridgment of Don Quixote, saying it was easier to finish.
Henrik preferred the abridgment because the original text felt far too long and slow.
This abridgment of the government report cuts the total page count nearly in half.
An abridgment Yara found at a Lisbon bookshop became her most treasured possession.
- digest
a condensed version that organises information by topic rather than following the original order
- condensation
emphasises the compression; often used for reference works
- précis
formal; a very short summary, often used in academic settings
- summary
much shorter and does not preserve the original's narrative flow
用法筆記
Distinguish from Sense 2: this sense names the shortened book itself (the product), while Sense 2 names the act of making it shorter.
常見錯誤
2. the process of making a written work shorter by cutting out details while keepin
the process of making a written work shorter by cutting out details while keeping what is most important
The abridgment of the novel took the editor nearly six months of careful work.
the abridgment + of + [work] — the process, not the product
Dario oversaw the abridgment of the company's lengthy policy manual last spring.
During the abridgment, several chapters that described minor events were cut entirely.
The author agreed to the abridgment only after the publisher promised to keep the ending intact.
Eli studied the art of abridgment while training to become a textbook editor in Berlin.
- condensation
same process, slightly more emphasis on squeezing content into a smaller space
- shortening
more general; can apply to any text, speech, or physical object
- reduction
broader; often used for numbers, costs, or quantities rather than texts
用法筆記
Distinguish from Sense 1: this sense names the act or process of shortening, not the resulting book. Less frequent than Sense 1 in everyday use.
常見錯誤
3. a reduction or restriction of someone's rights, freedoms, or legal protections
a reduction or restriction of someone's rights, freedoms, or legal protections
The new internet law was challenged in court as a clear abridgment of free speech.
abridgment + of + [constitutional right]
Vivek argued that the sudden rule change amounted to an abridgment of his basic civil rights.
Press freedom across the region, the newspaper argued, faced a serious abridgment under the new policy.
Any government abridgment of religious liberty must pass the strictest legal review.
Mira wrote an essay about the abridgment of voting rights in the early twentieth century.
- curtailment
very close in meaning; slightly more common and less formal than abridgment in this sense
- restriction
broader and more common; applies to rules that limit behaviour, not just rights
- infringement
implies a violation or breach, which is stronger than mere reduction
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in legal and political contexts. The object is typically a right, freedom, or liberty — not a book or text.