abridgement

/əˈbrɪdʒmənt/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈbrɪdʒmənt/ (ame, ipa)

abridgement — noun

1. a book, play, or other written work that exists in a shortened form — parts have

1.名詞B2
釋義

a book, play, or other written work that exists in a shortened form — parts have been removed but the main meaning and structure are kept so a reader still understands the full story or argument.

例句

Mei-Lin read an abridgement of 'War and Peace' for her literature class.

abridgement of + title for + purpose

The publisher released an audio abridgement so commuters could finish the novel during their train rides.

audio abridgement for commuters

同義詞
  • condensation

    similar but can apply to any medium including films or speeches

  • digest

    often organizes information differently, not just shorter

  • shortened version

    more direct and less technical in tone

反義詞

文法句型

abridgement of [work]

用法筆記

Often followed by 'of' to name the original work (e.g. 'an abridgement of the novel'). An abridgement is longer and more faithful to the original than a summary.

常見錯誤

❌I read an abridgement of the dictionary so it has fewer words.
✅I read an abridged dictionary so it has fewer entries.
💡An abridgement is a shortened version of a specific work, not a shortened reference book.

2. the act or process of making a written work shorter by removing sections or deta

2.名詞B2
釋義

the act or process of making a written work shorter by removing sections or details while preserving the core content.

例句

Professor Chen supervised the abridgement of the research paper to fit the journal's page limit.

abridgement of [work] + purpose clause

The abridgement of the manuscript took three months because every chapter required careful cuts.

同義詞
  • condensation

    can apply to non-written material as well

  • summarization

    implies distilling to main points rather than keeping the structure

反義詞

文法句型

the abridgement of [work]

用法筆記

Uncountable in this sense — it names the process, not a finished product. The original work is always a written text, not a film or recording.

常見錯誤

❌The abridgement of the movie removed the best scenes.
✅The abridgement of the novel removed several chapters.
💡This sense applies to written works only.

3. the act of limiting, reducing, or taking away someone's legal rights, freedoms,

3.名詞C1
釋義

the act of limiting, reducing, or taking away someone's legal rights, freedoms, or privileges.

例句

The Supreme Court ruled that the new law was an unconstitutional abridgement of the right to assemble.

unconstitutional abridgement of [right]

Activists protested the abridgement of voting rights in the new legislation passed last month.

同義詞
反義詞
  • extension

    the act of expanding rights or freedoms

  • expansion

    the act of broadening what is permitted

文法句型

abridgement of [right/freedom]

用法筆記

Most common in legal and political writing. Frequently collocates with 'unconstitutional', 'unlawful', or 'dangerous'. Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense does not involve written texts.

常見錯誤

❌The new rule was an abridgement of our break time.
✅The new rule was an abridgement of our right to free expression.
💡This sense applies to rights and freedoms, not to time, objects, or physical things.