Unabridged: definition and examples
Unabridged describes a book, audiobook or dictionary presented in full, with nothing shortened or cut from the complete text.
Unabridged means complete. An unabridged novel prints every chapter the author wrote; an unabridged audiobook reads every word. The opposite, abridged, is a shortened version, often made for length or price. For a novelist, the word starts to matter when a book moves into audio or new editions.
Complete versus shortened
The word only makes sense next to its opposite. A book is called unabridged because a shorter version of it exists, or could. For a first draft, the question does not come up.
Dictionaries use the word a little differently. An unabridged dictionary is the most complete of its class, not a shortened version of a larger one.
Examples
"Les Misérables"
Victor Hugo, 1862, in abridged and unabridged English editions
Abridged editions often cut Hugo's long digressions and summarize them. Unabridged translations keep every one.
"The Count of Monte Cristo"
Alexandre Dumas, in complete and abridged English editions
Cheap reprints do not always say which translation they use or how much was cut. "Unabridged" on the cover is the reader's guarantee.
"Unabridged audiobooks contain the full text, word for word, without any cuts."
AudiobooksNow
The sense most readers meet today. Abridged audio is cut for length, often for listeners who want the main storyline.
When the word will matter to you
Audiobook stores label every title abridged or unabridged, so if your novel goes to audio you will need to say which yours is. For a novel, unabridged is almost always the answer, because listeners expect the whole book.
If you ever need a shorter version, such as a condensed edition or a reading sample, cut deliberately rather than dropping whole chapters. [Quick Edit](/features/quick-edit) can tighten a passage on a plain instruction. Every cut stays your decision.
Common mistakes
Assuming unabridged means dramatized
An unabridged audiobook is the full text, usually read by one narrator. A full-cast dramatization is a different product.
Assuming abridged means worse
Abridged editions exist for real reasons, like a commuter who wants the main story. They are a choice, not a knockoff.
Common questions
- What does unabridged mean on an audiobook?
- That it contains the complete text, word for word, with no cuts.
- Is unabridged better than abridged?
- For readers who want the author's full work, yes. Abridged versions trade completeness for length and suit readers who want only the main story. ---
Related terms
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