abridgment

/əˈbrɪdʒ.mənt/ (bre, ipa) · /əˈbrɪdʒ.mənt/ (ame, ipa) · /ə-ˈbrij-mənt/ (ame, mw)

abridgment — noun

  • abridgmentsingular
  • abridgmentsplural

1. a written work such as a book, article, or play that has been shortened while ke

1.名詞B2
釋義

a written work such as a book, article, or play that has been shortened while keeping only the main elements and key information

例句

Mei-Lin read an abridgment of Les Misérables for her French literature class.

Ibrahim compared the original article with its abridgment to see what had been removed.

abridgment + of + [work title]

同義詞
  • condensation

    a shortened form of a text that keeps the essential content; often used for scientific or technical writing

  • digest

    a collection of condensed material arranged for easy reference; more organized than an abridgment

  • summary

    much shorter than an abridgment; gives only the main points without preserving the original's structure

反義詞

文法句型

abridgment + of + [title/type of work]

用法筆記

Typically used with 'of' followed by the title or type of work, for example 'an abridgment of War and Peace' or 'an abridgment of the novel'.

常見錯誤

❌I read an abbreviation of the novel.
✅I read an abridgment of the novel.
💡'abbreviation' refers to shortened forms of single words, not shortened versions of whole works.
❌The editor made a short version of the book.
✅The editor produced an abridgment of the book.
💡'abridgment' is the standard noun for a shortened written work.

2. the process of shortening a written work such as a book or article by taking out

2.名詞C1
釋義

the process of shortening a written work such as a book or article by taking out parts that are not essential to the main content

例句

The careful abridgment of the textbook for high school students took six months.

careful abridgment of [work] + duration

Sofia questioned the hasty abridgment of the speech before its publication in the newspaper.

同義詞
  • condensation

    can refer to the process of condensing a text; often implies greater compression than abridgment

  • abbreviation

    more commonly used for shortening single words or phrases, not whole works

反義詞
  • expansion

    the act of making a text longer by adding detail

  • elaboration

    adding more details or explanation to a text

文法句型

abridgment + of + [work] + by [agent]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense refers to the action or process of shortening, not the resulting shortened work. Sense 2 is typically uncountable ('the abridgment of the book took weeks'), while sense 1 is countable ('I read an abridgment of the book').

常見錯誤

❌The abridgment of the novel was on the shelf.' (meaning the shortened book itself)
✅The abridgment of the novel was done by an editor.
💡When referring to a physical shortened book, use sense 1.

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

3.名詞C1
釋義

the act of limiting or taking away someone's legal rights, personal freedoms, or powers, especially through laws or official authority

例句

Amara joined the protest against any abridgment of free speech rights.

abridgment + of + [right/freedom]

Theo read about the court case involving an abridgment of religious freedom.

同義詞
  • curtailment

    more formal than 'abridgment'; strongly associated with cutting short rights or privileges

  • restriction

    a broader and more common term for any limit placed on something

  • limitation

    neutral and widely used; can refer to any boundary or cap on rights

反義詞
  • expansion

    the act of extending or increasing rights

  • protection

    the act of keeping rights safe from being reduced

文法句型

abridgment + of + [right/freedom/liberty]

用法筆記

Frequently appears in legal or political contexts. The word often follows verbs like 'constitute', 'represent', 'involve', or 'amount to' when describing the legal impact of a law or policy on rights.

常見錯誤

❌The law is an abridgment of the constitution.
✅The law is an abridgment of constitutional rights.
💡Sense 3 applies to rights and freedoms, not to written documents themselves.