abridgment

Abridgment is the act of shortening a text or discourse by omitting portions while preserving the essential ideas, structure, or meaning. It can refer to a shortened edition of a book, a condensed performance, or a summarized legal or constitutional text. An abridged work aims to be more accessible while retaining core elements of the original.

In literature and education, an abridged edition reduces length while keeping main characters, plot, setting, and themes intact, often to suit younger readers or time constraints. Abridgments in drama or film adapt scripts for stage or screen within a limited runtime, prioritizing essential scenes and dialogue. In law, abridgment may refer to restriction of rights, as in constitutional provisions that prohibit abridging freedoms, or to a concise version of a longer document, such as a case digest.

Etymology: from Middle English abridgement, from Old French abregement or abregier, rooted in Latin abbreviare meaning to shorten. The term thus carries both general and specialized senses across publishing, performing arts, and law. Distinctions are drawn between abridgment, which implies selective reduction, and simple summary, which may omit interpretive framing.

Related concepts include condensation, synopsis, and digest. Abridgment underlines the balance between brevity and fidelity to the source, guiding editors and translators in producing usable, readable forms without erasing essential content.