abridgment

/əˈbɹɪd͡ʒ.mənt/

//əˈbɹɪd͡ʒ.mənt// noun

"abridgment" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“abridgment” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of abridging; reduction or deprivation

Corpus desk

Index EN-abridgment · abridgment · English

abridgment · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 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.

Key facts for abridgment
PropertyValue
Headwordabridgment
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈbɹɪd͡ʒ.mənt/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “abridgment” in English

abridgmentranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

abridgment is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /əˈbɹɪd͡ʒ.mənt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

abridgment doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1494. From Middle English abrygement, from Middle French abrégement. Equivalent to abridge + -ment. The correct English form is abridgment, spelled A-B-R-I-D-G-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of abridging; reduction or deprivation
  2. 2
    The state of being abridged or lessened.
  3. 3
    An epitome or compend, as of a book; a shortened or abridged form; an abbreviation.
  4. 4
    That which abridges or cuts short; hence, an entertainment that makes the time pass quickly
  5. 5
    Any of various brief statements of case law made before modern reporting of legal cases.
  6. 6
    The leaving out of certain portions of a plaintiff's demand, the writ still holding good for the remainder.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how abridgment appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. an abridgment of pleasures or of expenses
  2. The article which embodied my researches having proved somewhat too long for its purpose, an abridgment of it only was inserted in the Encyclopædia.

Etymology

First attested in 1494. From Middle English abrygement, from Middle French abrégement. Equivalent to abridge + -ment.

Synonyms

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "abridgment"?
"abridgment" is spelled A-B-R-I-D-G-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈbɹɪd͡ʒ.mənt/.
What does "abridgment" mean?
As a noun, "abridgment" means: The act of abridging; reduction or deprivation
How do you pronounce "abridgment"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abridgment" is /əˈbɹɪd͡ʒ.mənt/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "abridgment"?
First attested in 1494. From Middle English abrygement, from Middle French abrégement. Equivalent to abridge + -ment. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list