Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense bowdlerizes, present participle bowdlerizing, past tense, past participle bowdlerizedregional note: in BRIT, also use bowdlerise
verb
To bowdlerize a book or film means to take parts of it out before publishing it or showing it.
[disapproval]
I'm bowdlerizing it–just slightly changing one or two words so listeners won't beupset. [VERB noun]
...a bowdlerised version of the song. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: censor, cut, clean up, blue-pencil More Synonyms of bowdlerize
bowdlerize in British English
or bowdlerise (ˈbaʊdləˌraɪz)
verb
(transitive)
to remove passages or words regarded as indecent from (a play, novel, etc); expurgate
Derived forms
bowdlerization (ˌbowdleriˈzation) or bowdlerisation (ˌbowdleriˈsation)
noun
bowdlerizer (ˈbowdlerˌizer) or bowdleriser (ˈbowdlerˌiser)
noun
bowdlerism (ˈbowdlerism)
noun
Word origin
C19: after Thomas Bowdler (1754–1825), English editor who published an expurgated edition of Shakespeare
bowdlerize in American English
(ˈbaʊdlərˌaɪz; ˈboʊdləˌraɪz)
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈbowdlerˌized or ˈbowdlerˌizing
to remove passages considered offensive from (a book, play, etc.)
Derived forms
bowdlerism (ˈbowdlerˌism)
noun
bowdlerization (ˌbowdleriˈzation)
noun
Word origin
after Thomas Bowdler (1754-1825), Eng editor who (1818) published an expurgated Shakespeare
Examples of 'bowdlerize' in a sentence
bowdlerize
As I'd grown older, I'd noticed that Florence had ceased to bowdlerize her storytelling.
Harris, Elizabeth TIME OF THE WOLF
(verb)
Definition
to remove passages or words regarded as indecent from (a play, novel, etc.)
She had ceased to bowdlerize her storytelling.
Synonyms
censor
Court officials have reserved the right to censor proceedings.
cut
The audience wants more music and less drama, so we've cut some scenes.
clean up
blue-pencil
expurgate
The work was heavily expurgated for its second edition.
sanitize
the school of crime writers who sanitize violence
Additional synonyms
in the sense of cut
The audience wants more music and less drama, so we've cut some scenes.
Synonyms
delete,
take out,
excise,
edit out,
expurgate
in the sense of expurgate
Definition
to amend a piece of writing by removing sections thought to be offensive
The work was heavily expurgated for its second edition.
Synonyms
censor,
cut,
clean up (informal),
purge,
purify,
blue-pencil,
sanitize,
bowdlerize
in the sense of sanitize
Definition
to omit unpleasant details to make (news) more acceptable