Definition

Noun: A bowdlerizer is a person who removes or modifies parts of a written work (such as a book or play) that are considered vulgar, obscene, or otherwise offensive, often with the intention of making it suitable for a wider or more sensitive audience, such as children. The term is derived from Thomas Bowdler, who published an expurgated edition of Shakespeare's works.

Usage

The term is used to describe an editor or censor whose primary action is the sanitization of literature. It often carries a negative connotation, implying excessive prudishness or a lack of respect for the original author's intent and artistic integrity.

Examples

• The publisher hired a bowdlerizer to prepare a version of the classic novel for the school curriculum.
• Critics accused him of being a bowdlerizer for removing all the swear words from the modern play.
• She refused to be a bowdlerizer of history, insisting on presenting the original, unvarnished documents.

Advanced Usage

• The act performed by a bowdlerizer is bowdlerization (noun).
• The verb form is to bowdlerize, meaning to expurgate a text.
  • Example: They decided to bowdlerize the old fairy tales, removing the violent endings.

Variants and Related Words

• Bowdlerize (verb): To expurgate a text.
• Bowdlerization (noun): The act or result of bowdlerizing.
• Expurgator (noun): A near-synonym for bowdlerizer.
• Censor (noun): A broader term for someone who suppresses speech, text, or ideas.

Synonyms

• Expurgator
• Censor
• Sanitizer
• Purifier

Antonyms

• Preserver (of original text)
• Restorer

Noun

1. a person who edits a text by removing obscene or offensive words or passages
   • Thomas Bowdler was a famous expurgator