Abridges

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈbɹɪd͡ʒɪz/

Definitions

1. To shorten a written piece by removing extraneous details while still conveying the intended meaning is a key aspect of summarization
2. To reduce the length of a document or speech by cutting unnecessary sections while keeping the main ideas intact
3. To condense content by omitting less important parts so that the core message remains clear

Etymology: This is an inflected form: "abridges" is the third-person singular present of "abridge", meaning to shorten a text or cut it down to essentials. The verb comes from Middle English "abreggen" and "abrigge", meaning to curtail or lessen, which passed into English from Old French "abregier" and "abreger". Those French forms descend from the Late Latin "abbreviare", meaning "make brief". That Latin root also gave English "abbreviate", which makes "abridge" a doublet: two words from the same source that reached English by different routes and took different shapes. "Abridge" came through French and was worn down in the process, while "abbreviate" kept the Latin spelling and was borrowed more directly. The two words now sit side by side with overlapping meanings.

Synonyms: shortens, reduces, condenses

Antonyms: expands, lengthens, enlarges