abridge
/əˈbɹɪd͡ʒ/
"abridge" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“abridge” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To deprive; to cut off.
Corpus desk
Index EN-abridge · abridge · English
abridge · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "A" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | abridge |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /əˈbɹɪd͡ʒ/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “abridge” in English
Rare enough to double-check
abridge is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /əˈbɹɪd͡ʒ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.
abridge doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English abreggen, abregge, abrigge (“curtail, lessen”), from Old French abregier, abreger, from Late Latin abbreviō, abbreviāre (“make brief”). Doublet of abbreviate. The correct English form is abridge, spelled A-B-R-I-D-G-E.
Definition
- 1To deprive; to cut off.
- 2To debar from.
- 3To make shorter; to shorten in duration or extent.
- 4To shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense.
- 5Cut short; truncate.
- 6To curtail.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how abridge appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
She retired her self to Sebaste, and abridged her train from State to necessity.
The bridegroom, perceiving his condition, abridged the visit […]
Etymology
From Middle English abreggen, abregge, abrigge (“curtail, lessen”), from Old French abregier, abreger, from Late Latin abbreviō, abbreviāre (“make brief”). Doublet of abbreviate.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.