redaction

noun

re·​dac·​tion ri-ˈdak-shən 

1

: an act or instance of redacting something

2

: a work that has been redacted : edition, version

redactional

ri-ˈdak-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

adjective

Did you know?

Here's a quiz for all you etymology buffs. Can you pick the words from the following list that come from the same Latin root?

A. redaction B. prodigal C. agent D. essay
E. navigate F. ambiguous

If you guessed all of them, you are right. Now, for bonus points, name the Latin root that they all have in common. If you knew that it is the verb agere, meaning to "to drive, lead, act, or do," you get an A+. Redaction is from the Latin verb redigere ("to bring back" or "to reduce"), which was formed by adding the prefix red- (meaning "back") to agere. Some other agere offspring include act, agenda, cogent, litigate, chasten, agile, and transact.

Examples of redaction in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After ordering the latest batch of names to be released without redactions on Dec. 18, Judge Loretta Preska noted most were already out there, through court cases or media reports. —Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 14 June 2024

Just two days later, the Bush administration released the top-secret memo with minimal redactions to show that the document contained no specific warning of, or any actionable information about, a near-term attack. —David V. Gioe, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

Additional details about the case were not available due to various redactions in court records. —Kira Caspers, The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024

Blumenthal and Johnson requested additional documents without redactions. —Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 16 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French rédaction, from Late Latin redaction-, redactio act of reducing, compressing, from Latin redigere to bring back, reduce, from re-, red- re- + agere to lead — more at agent

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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