bowdlerization
Definition
Noun: 1. The act of censoring a text: The process of removing, altering, or shortening parts of a book, play, or other written work considered vulgar, offensive, or objectionable. 2. A censored version of a text: A specific edition or version of a work that has been altered by this process.
Usage
The term is used in formal and critical contexts, often with a negative connotation, to describe censorship that is seen as excessive, prudish, or damaging to the original work's integrity. It is commonly applied to discussions of literature, film, and historical texts.
Examples
- As the act of censoring:
- The bowdlerization of classic novels to suit Victorian sensibilities removed much of their original social commentary.
- Scholars criticized the film's heavy bowdlerization, arguing it diluted the director's intended message.
- As the censored text itself:
- This edition is not the original play but a bowdlerization from the 19th century.
- He compared the original manuscript with the published bowdlerization to see what had been removed.
Advanced Usage
- The verb form is to bowdlerize. The person who performs the act is a bowdlerizer.
- The term originates from Thomas Bowdler, who published an expurgated edition of Shakespeare's works in 1818 titled .
Variants and Related Words
- Bowdlerize (verb): To remove material considered improper or offensive from a text.
- The publisher decided to bowdlerize the novel for a younger audience.
- Bowdlerizer (noun): A person who bowdlerizes.
- Expurgation (noun): A more formal synonym for the act of bowdlerizing.
Synonyms
- Censorship
- Expurgation
- Sanitization
- Cleaning up (informal)
Antonyms
- Uncensored version
- Original text
- Complete edition
Noun
-
the act of deleting or modifying all passages considered to be indecent
-
written material that has been bowdlerized
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