[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

abridgment \abridg"ment\ -bri^j"ment, n. oe. abregement.
   see abridge.
   1. the act of abridging, or the state of being abridged;
      diminution; lessening; reduction or deprivation; as, an
      abridgment of pleasures or of expenses.
      1913 webster

   2. an epitome or compend, as of a book; a shortened or
      abridged form, esp. of a written work; an abbreviation.
      1913 webster

            ancient coins as abridgments of history. --addison.
      1913 webster

   3. that which abridges or cuts short; hence, an entertainment
      that makes the time pass quickly. obs.
      1913 webster

            what abridgment have you for this evening? what
            mask? what music?                     --shak.
      1913 webster

   4. a diminution or curtailment, as of legal rights.
      pjc

   syn: abridgment, compendium, epitome, abstract,
        synopsis.

   usage: an abridgment is made by omitting the less important
          parts of some larger work; as, an abridgment of a
          dictionary. a compendium is a brief exhibition of a
          subject, or science, for common use; as, a compendium
          of american literature. an epitome corresponds to a
          compendium, and gives briefly the most material points
          of a subject; as, an epitome of history. an abstract
          is a brief statement of a thing in its main points. a
          synopsis is a bird's-eye view of a subject, or work,
          in its several parts.
          1913 webster
see also:
abridge abridgment compendium epitome abstract synopsis 

[2] : WordNet (r) 2.0

abridgment
     n : a shortened version of a written work syn: condensation,
         abridgement, capsule
see also:
condensation abridgement capsule 

[3] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

86 moby thesaurus words for "abridgment":
   abatement, abbreviation, abstract, alleviation, aphorism, apocope,
   attenuation, bereavement, blue-penciling, bowdlerization, breviary,
   brief, cancellation, capsule, censoring, censorship, compendium,
   compression, condensation, conspectus, contraction, curtailment,
   dampening, damping, decrease, decrement, decrescence, deduction,
   deflation, deletion, depreciation, depression, deprivation,
   deprivement, digest, diminishment, diminution, disburdening,
   disburdenment, disentitlement, divestment, dying, dying off,
   editing, elision, ellipsis, epigram, epitome, erasure, expurgation,
   extenuation, fade-out, foreshortening, languishment, lessening,
   letup, lowering, miniaturization, mitigation, omission, outline,
   precis, privation, recap, recapitulation, reduction, relaxation,
   relieving, retrenchment, sagging, scaling down, shortening,
   simplicity, sketch, striking, subtraction, sum, summary, summation,
   summing-up, syllabus, syncope, synopsis, telescoping, truncation,
   weakening

Abridgment >> A Words
Abridgment, definition of term: Abridgment
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