expurgate
/'ekspə:geit/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To remove or alter parts of a written work considered offensive, obscene, or otherwise objectionable: "expurgate" means to cleanse a text by deleting or modifying passages deemed inappropriate, often to make it suitable for a particular audience.
Usage and Examples
- Verb:
- The publisher decided to expurgate the controversial chapter before releasing the book to schools.
- Early editions of the novel were heavily expurgated to comply with the moral standards of the time.
- The editor was asked to expurgate the manuscript of any libelous statements.
Advanced Usage
- "Expurgated edition/version": A published version of a text from which objectionable material has been removed.
- The library only carries the expurgated edition of the author's memoirs.
- Concept of Expurgation: The act or practice of expurgating is often discussed in contexts of censorship, literary history, and editorial policy.
Variants and Related Words
- Expurgation (n): The act of expurgating.
- The expurgation of the text altered its original tone significantly.
- Expurgator (n): A person who expurgates.
- The expurgator worked meticulously through the ancient manuscript.
Synonyms
- Bowdlerize: To remove material considered improper or offensive from a text, named after Thomas Bowdler.
- Censor: To examine and suppress parts considered objectionable.
- Purge: To remove unwanted elements thoroughly.
- Clean up: (Informal) To remove offensive content.
Antonyms
- Unabridged: Complete and containing all original material, not shortened.
- Uncensored: Not having had any content suppressed or altered.
Related Phrases and Concepts
- "To expurgate from": To remove specific material from a text.
- The committee voted to expurgate the graphic descriptions from the report.
- The term is closely associated with the concept of "bowdlerization," which specifically refers to prudish expurgation of literature.
Verb
- edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate
- bowdlerize a novel