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Expurgate vs. Bowdlerize — What's the Difference?

Expurgate vs. Bowdlerize — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Expurgate and Bowdlerize

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Expurgate

To remove erroneous, vulgar, obscene, or otherwise objectionable material from (a book, for example) before publication.

Bowdlerize

To remove material that is considered offensive or objectionable from (a book, for example); expurgate.

Expurgate

(transitive) To edit out (incorrect, offensive, or otherwise undesirable information) from a book or other publication; to cleanse; to purge.
The publisher decided to expurgate the love scene from the book, to make it more child-friendly.

Bowdlerize

To remove or alter those parts of a text considered offensive, vulgar, or otherwise unseemly.
The bowdlerized version of the novel, while free of vulgarity, was also free of flavor.

Expurgate

(transitive) To undertake editing out incorrect, offensive, or otherwise undesirable information from (a book or other publication); to cleanse; to purge.
The publisher decided to expurgate the book, which meant removing the love scene.
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Bowdlerize

To expurgate, as a book, by omitting or modifying the parts considered offensive; to remove morally objectionable parts; - said of literary texts.
It is a grave defect in the splendid tale of Tom Jones . . . that a Bowdlerized version of it would be hardly intelligible as a tale.

Expurgate

To purify; to clear from anything noxious, offensive, or erroneous; to cleanse; to purge; as, to expurgate a book.

Bowdlerize

Edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate;
Bowdlerize a novel

Expurgate

Edit by omitting or modifying parts considered indelicate;
Bowdlerize a novel

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