overedit

verb

over·​ed·​it ˌō-vər-ˈe-dət How to pronounce overedit (audio)
overedited; overediting

transitive + intransitive

: to edit (something) more than is necessary or appropriate
overedit a manuscript
Scenes in the movie were choppy and overedited.
Editors do overedit, of course, when they substitute their own taste, their own approach, their own view of a subject for those of the author.John P. Dessauer
The late, great Theodore Bernstein of The New York Times said the inner ring of hell was reserved for editors who overedit. The innermost ring was for those who overedit and make it wrong.Charles Einstein

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overedit was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near overedit

Cite this Entry

“Overedit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overedit. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!