edited; editing; edits
1
a
: to prepare (something, such as literary material) for publication or public presentation
edit a manuscript
b
: to assemble (something, such as a moving picture or tape recording) by cutting and rearranging
edit a film
c
: to alter, adapt, or refine especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose
carefully edited the speech
edit a data file
2
: to direct the publication of
edits the daily newspaper
3
: delete
—usually used with out
4
: to modify a gene or gene product of by inserting, deleting, or replacing DNA sequences
The first work attempting to edit human embryos grabbed headlines last week.—
Penny Sarchet and Michael Le Page
see gene editing
Penny Sarchet and Michael Le PageSynonyms
Examples of edit in a Sentence
Verb
This chapter needs to be edited.
The book was poorly edited.
The stories have been edited for a younger audience.
Students learn to edit their essays for grammar and punctuation.
The software allows you to edit videos on your computer.
This film has been edited for television.
an anthology of ancient poetry edited by a local professor
Recent Examples on the Web
Sean Illing, Vox, 9 Nov. 2024
This conversation has been edited for length, continuity and clarity.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2024
Nelly tends to accept praise with a tight smile and deflect criticism with a joke, and because of the latter, she’s been a fount of reaction shots as the series has given her a class-clown-style edit.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for edit 
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Verb
This interview, which took place before Tuesday’s election, has been edited for length and clarity.
—Sean Illing, Vox, 9 Nov. 2024
This conversation has been edited for length, continuity and clarity.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Noun
Mainly written by Jefferson, the letter includes edits from his initial draft, reflecting the input of Adams and Franklin.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 4 Nov. 2024
Nelly tends to accept praise with a tight smile and deflect criticism with a joke, and because of the latter, she’s been a fount of reaction shots as the series has given her a class-clown-style edit.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for edit
Cite this Entry
“Edit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/edit. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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