expurgate

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "expurgate" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to the act of removing objectionable content from a work. For example: "The editors expurgated the novel to make it appropriate for a younger audience."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

One way to expurgate these frustrated dreams and fond notions is round the television.

The Guardian

And that conviction of unworthiness was the deepest lesson I had been taught as a child, that I was the surrogate demon who was to act and sort of expurgate the demonic in my dad.

The New Yorker

I fear you would have to censor and expurgate with a free wrist movement".

The New Yorker

In fact, there had been nothing to expurgate.

The New Yorker

It is as if Rockwell had an inner Mr. Hyde whose noirish vision his Dr. Jekyll was always having to expurgate.

The New York Times

A crisis came in 1959, when his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, urged him to expurgate the explicit sex scenes in "Rabbit, Run," his first major novel.

The New York Times - Books

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

The American authorities then copied the documents for the other four permanent members, who agreed that the ten rotating members of the council would receive expurgated versions.The reason given for this, and the one helpfully acknowledged by Iraq, was that the documents include material on how to make an atom bomb.

The Economist

The prime minister, Jose Maria Aznar, feels the past should be left well alone, and that the transition to democracy expurgated past sins.

The Economist

The texts of the first and second (1587) editions were expurgated by order of the Privy Council, and the excisions from the second edition were published separately in 1723.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Marcion therefore established a fixed canon of an edited version of Luke's Gospel and some of the Pauline Letters (expurgated), and no Old Testament at all.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Alexander Pope undertook to edit Shakespeare in 1725, expurgating his language and "correcting" supposedly infelicitous phrases.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "expurgate" when you specifically want to emphasize the removal of morally objectionable or offensive content from a text or publication.

Common error

Avoid using "expurgate" when simply referring to standard editing or revising. "Expurgate" implies a deliberate removal of content deemed inappropriate or offensive, not just stylistic changes.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "expurgate" is a transitive verb. It describes the action of removing objectionable or offensive material from a text or publication. Ludwig AI confirms that the word is correct and usable in written English, as seen in the provided examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Encyclopedias

18%

Science

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the verb "expurgate" means to edit out objectionable content. Ludwig AI confirms that this word is grammatically correct and appropriate for use in written English. Analysis of example sentences show that "expurgate" is most frequently used in News & Media and Encyclopedias. When choosing synonyms for "expurgate", consider the context, as words like ""censor"" and "bowdlerize" carry slightly different implications. While "expurgate" is a valid and useful word, it should be used deliberately to refer to specific removal of inappropriate or offensive material.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

censor

A general term for removing objectionable content, often by authorities.

bowdlerize

Similar to expurgate, specifically refers to removing morally objectionable content.

edit out

A more informal way to say remove, often used in media contexts.

remove

A simple and direct term for taking something away.

purge

Implies a more thorough and forceful removal of undesirable elements.

sanitize

To make more acceptable by removing offensive or unpleasant features.

redact

To edit or black out sensitive information from a document.

clean up

An informal way to describe the removal of unwanted or offensive content.

decontaminate

Remove or neutralize a contaminant.

revise

To amend or alter something, implying a wider scope of changes.

FAQs

How to use "expurgate" in a sentence?

You can use "expurgate" to describe the act of removing objectionable material. For example, "The publisher decided to "censor" parts of the book to "expurgate" the content for younger audiences."

What can I say instead of "expurgate"?

You can use alternatives like ""censor"", "bowdlerize", or "edit out" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "expurgate" or "censor"?

"Expurgate" and ""censor"" are both correct but have slightly different connotations. "Expurgate" often implies removing morally objectionable content, while "censor" is a more general term for removing content deemed inappropriate by authorities.

What's the difference between "expurgate" and "bowdlerize"?

"Expurgate" is a general term for removing objectionable content. "Bowdlerize" specifically refers to removing content considered indecent or morally offensive.