abridged
adjective
Simple meaning
Cut or shortened.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhbrijdSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
əbˈɹɪdʒd
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Cut or shortened, especially of a literary work.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Cut or shortened, especially of a literary work.
An 'abridged' work has been shortened, usually while retaining the core message. It feels less complete than the original, but more accessible. It's often used for books to make them quicker to read.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where you'll really hear it
Book reviews
“This abridged version of the classic novel is perfect for young readers.”
Academic syllabi
“Students can read either the full text or the abridged edition.”
Where it naturally appears
- Literature/storytelling
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use abridged
- “An abridged version.”adjective
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
- unabridgednoun
- encyclopedianoun
- adaptationnoun
- anthologynoun
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Antonyms
Sense: cut or shortened or especially of a literary work
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “abridged” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.