abridgment

or a·bridge·ment

[ uh-brij-muhnt ]

noun

1. a shortened or condensed form of a book, speech, etc., that still retains the basic contents:

   an abridgment of Tolstoy's War and Peace.

   Synonyms: outline, brief, syllabus, conspectus, précis, summary, abstract, synopsis, compendium, epitome, digest

   Antonyms: enlargement, expansion

2. the act or process of abridging.

   Synonyms: compression, contraction, shortening, reduction

   Antonyms: enlargement, expansion

3. the state of being abridged.
4. reduction or curtailment:

   abridgment of civil rights.

abridgment

/ əˈbrɪdʒmənt /

noun

1. a shortened version of a written work
2. the act of abridging or state of being abridged

Other Words From

• nona·bridgment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of abridgment¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English abreg(g)ement, abrygement, from Middle French abregement; abridge, -ment

Example Sentences

Those words are an abridgment and paraphrase of this assessment by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

From The Daily Beast

But to pursue brevity of speech, and to avoid nice declarations of things, is to be granted to him that maketh an abridgment.

From Project Gutenberg

Let us say that there shall be no abridgment of the offerings of so-called academic education.

From Project Gutenberg

The full consideration of this promise belongs rather to St. Mark's Gospel, in which it is presented without abridgment.

From Project Gutenberg

He who has seen the banks of Dee has seen, as in an epitome or abridgment, all that the north of Scotland has to show.

From Project Gutenberg

In the abridgment of his report which follows I eliminate what has already been fully demonstrated elsewhere in this book.

From Project Gutenberg