What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
summarised
Example
Can you summarise the main points of the article for me? [summarise: verb]
Example
The summary of the report was only two pages long. [summary: noun]
abridged
Example
I read the abridged version of the novel because I didn't have time for the full version. [abridged: adjective]
Example
The audiobook was an abridged version of the original text. [abridged: past participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Summarised is more commonly used than abridged in everyday language and academic writing. Summarised is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while abridged is less common and more specific to literary works.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between summarised and abridged?
Both summarised and abridged are formal words that are commonly used in academic and professional contexts. However, summarised is more neutral in tone, while abridged can sometimes have a negative connotation of being incomplete or inferior to the original work.
