Bowdlerize

Pronunciation: /ˈbaʊdləˌraɪz/

Definitions of bowdlerize

verb to remove or change parts of a text considered vulgar or offensive

Example Sentences

A1 The teacher bowdlerized the movie before showing it to the young students.

A2 The editor had to bowdlerize the article to make it suitable for a family-friendly magazine.

B1 The government often bowdlerizes historical documents to fit their narrative.

B2 The director decided to bowdlerize the script to avoid controversy.

C1 Some critics argue that it is unethical to bowdlerize classic literature.

C2 The author refused to allow anyone to bowdlerize her novel, insisting on its original form.

Examples of bowdlerize in a Sentence

formal The editor decided to bowdlerize the classic novel before publishing it.

informal I don't like when they bowdlerize movies for TV.

slang They always bowdlerize the good parts in the TV version.

figurative She felt like her true self was being bowdlerized by society's expectations.

Grammatical Forms of bowdlerize

• past tense: bowdlerized
• plural: bowdlerizes
• comparative: more bowdlerized
• superlative: most bowdlerized
• present tense: bowdlerizes
• future tense: will bowdlerize
• perfect tense: has bowdlerized
• continuous tense: is bowdlerizing
• singular: bowdlerize
• positive degree: bowdlerize
• infinitive: to bowdlerize
• gerund: bowdlerizing
• participle: bowdlerizing

Origin and Evolution of bowdlerize

First Known Use: 1818 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The word 'bowdlerize' originates from the name of Thomas Bowdler, an English physician and editor who published an expurgated edition of Shakespeare's works in 1818.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe the act of removing or censoring material considered offensive or vulgar, 'bowdlerize' has evolved to also encompass the concept of sanitizing or simplifying text to make it more suitable for a particular audience.