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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nationalism has been a liberating force, but it has also been exploited to justify the abridgment of rights. Foreign Affairs, 25 Feb. 2025 Thanks to CDs, and especially streaming, abridgments are now comparatively rare. Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 22 June 2024

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abridgment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abridgment. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

abridgment

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

More from Merriam-Webster on abridgment

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