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

In 2022, Politico reported, citing FOIA requests, that intra-bureaucratic battles have kept these files redacted, and many of these redactions are in place to protect the lives of informants to the investigation. —Stephen Pastis, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024

The Arizona Supreme Court quickly rejected a request Wednesday from U.S. Senate candidate Ruben Gallego and his ex-wife, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, to keep their 2016 divorce file secret any longer, clearing the way for the information to be released with some redactions after midnight. —Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 16 Oct. 2024

So the process of redaction added a whole other layer; not only for me, but really for every department. —Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Nov. 2024

But the version of the Vance dossier available on Klippenstein's website today has redactions of addresses and his Social Security number. —Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 27 Sep. 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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