Expurgate - Word of the Day - 01/03/16

Expurgate

Line breaks: ex|pur|gate

Pronunciation:

 /ˈɛkspəːɡeɪt/

Verb

Definition of expurgate in English:

Remove matter thought to be objectionable or unsuitable from (a text or account):

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

An expurgated English translation.

It had been on the books since 1897, when expurgated editions of the classics, especially for consumption in classrooms, were common.

She found that most of them had been expurgated to remove anything that was remotely controversial, in some cases making the author's intention unrecognizable.

Thomas Jefferson expurgated his own version by cut and paste method.

SYNONYMS

censor, bowdlerize, blue-pencil, redact, cut, edit; clean up, purge, purify, sanitize, make acceptable, make palatable, make presentable, water down, emasculate

Derivatives

Expurgation

Pronunciation:

/ɛkspəːˈɡeɪʃ(ə)n/

Noun

Expurgator

Pronunciation:

 /ˈɛkspəːɡeɪtə/

Noun

Expurgatory

Pronunciation: /ɛkˈspəːɡət(ə)ri/

adjective

Origin

Early 17th century (in the sense 'purge of excrement'): from Latin expurgat- 'thoroughly cleansed', from the verb expurgare, from ex- 'out' + purgare 'cleanse'.

  

Oxford Dictionary