What does bowdlerised mean?
Bowdlerised means edited or altered to remove material regarded as indecent, offensive, or otherwise objectionable. The term is especially associated with the sanitisation of books, films, and other cultural works, and it often implies that the changes were prudish, excessive, or politically motivated rather than merely practical. A bowdlerised edition of a novel, for example, may omit explicit passages so that the work is considered suitable for children or a wider audience. The word is chiefly associated with British English, although bowdlerized is the usual North American spelling. It derives from the surname of Thomas Bowdler, whose own edited version of Shakespeare became famous for excising passages thought unsuitable for general readers. Knowing the word helps distinguish ordinary editing intended to clarify or improve a text from editorial alteration driven by censorship or sensitivity.
Describing a work or text that has been edited to remove material considered indecent, offensive, or objectionable.
"The adaptation was heavily bowdlerised and no longer included the original dialogue."
The adjective can be evaluative, implying that the omissions were unnecessary or overly censorious.
Past tense and past participle of bowdlerise: to edit a work by removing objectionable material.
"The editor bowdlerised the memoir before it was published."
As a verb form, it is usually used in the passive or perfect construction.
The word commemorates Thomas Bowdler, whose 1818 edition of Shakespeare removed passages he considered too indecent for general readers.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does bowdlerised come from?
The word was formed in English from the surname Bowdler and the suffix -ise. It became associated with Thomas Bowdler, the nineteenth-century editor best known for his expurgated edition of Shakespeare's works. The related North American form bowdlerize and the derivatives bowdlerization and bowdlerizer developed from the same surname and English verbal formation.
Related word forms
How bowdlerised is actually used
Chiefly associated with British English, though the word is also used in North American English, usually in the spelling bowdlerized. It can carry a critical connotation, suggesting that a work has been excessively or unnecessarily censored.
Easily confused with bowdlerised
Bowdlerized is the North American spelling of bowdlerised; the meanings are otherwise the same.