expurgation

Removing offensive content

Expurgation is the act of removing objectionable or offensive material from a text—cutting passages deemed obscene, politically dangerous, or otherwise unsuitable.

Publishers have released expurgated editions of everything from Shakespeare to the Bible: The expurgation of the novel removed all references to sexuality.

The practice suggests censorship or prudishness, though it sometimes serves legitimate purposes like adapting adult works for children.

censorship

bowdlerize

Remove objectionable content

redact · suppress · ban · proscribe · forbidden · taboo · obscenity · blacklist · prohibition · expunge

editing

edit

Modify written material

excise · delete · remove · cut · omit · abridge · shorten · condense · sanitize · clean up

purification

cleanse

Remove dirt or sin

clarify · filter · distill · cleansing · catharsis · lustration · ablution

Categories
Opposites
editorial action

expurgationinsertion

Placing something within

addition · interpolation · inclusion · augmentation · elaboration

content preservation

expurgationpreservation

Maintaining something's condition

retention · uncensoring · conservation · maintenance · reinstatement

content purity/morality

expurgationcorruption

Dishonest abuse of power

defilement · dirtying · contamination · pollution · degradation

Family

purify, purge, purging, purification, purgatory, expurgate, purged, purges, purgative

Familiarity
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Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Rated G