Meanings
present singular third person redacts · participle present redacting · participle past redacted · past redacted
- transitiveusuallyTo censor, to black out or remove parts of a document while leaving the remainder.
The names and email addresses of the users were redacted from the public data.
3 more examples
The military will redact the document before releasing it, blacking out sections that are classified.
By the time the Department of Defense is done redacting, there won't be much left to read.
Like other tax-exempt nonprofits, AIEF must file a Form 990 every year with the IRS, but donors are redacted from the version that is made accessible to the public.
2023 November 18, Murtaza Hussein, “Meet the Secret Donors Who Fund AIPAC’s Israel Trips for Congress”, in The Intercept - lawTo black out legally protected sections of text in a document provided to opposing counsel, typically as part of the discovery process.
- To reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape (matter for publication); to edit.First known use 19th c.
[…] the account of his second expedition was carefully redacted, […]
1829, Robinson Hurst, “Memoires de Vidocq, Chéf de la Police de Sureté jusq' en 1827; aujourd' hui Proprietaire et Fabriquant de Papier à St Mandé.”, in The Monthly Review, volume 12, London: G. Henderson, page 278 - rareTo draw up or frame a decree, statement, etc.First known use 19th c.
The Oath is redacted ; pronounced aloud by President Bailly, — and indeed in such a sonorous tone, that the cloud of witnesses, even outdoors, hear it, and bellow response to it.
1837, Thomas Carlyle, “Mercury de Breze”, in Henry Duff Traill, editor, The French Revolution, a History, the Bastille, volume 2, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, The Third Estate, page 162 - obsoleteTo bring together in one unit; to combine or bring together into one.First known use 15th–16th c.
Octauianus Augustus, his successor and nevewe, redacte in to oon monarchy the realmes of alle the worlde.
c1475, Churchill Babington, editor, Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden, Monachi Cestrensis; together with the English translations of John Trevisa and of an unknown writer of the fifteenth century., volume 2, London: Longmans, Green, and Company, translation of original by Ranulf Higden, published 1869, page 273 - obsoleteTo gather or organize works or ideas into a unified whole; to collect, order, or write in a written document or to put into a particular written form.First known use 15th–17th c.
yere, laborede and founde the arte of logike; þe rewles of whom and causes of þe begynnenge Plato fyndenge encreasede hit moche; but Aristotille redacte hit in an arte.
c1475, Joseph Rawson Lumby, editor, Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden, Monachi Cestrensis; together with the English translations of John Trevisa and of an unknown writer of the fifteenth century., volume 3, London: Longman & Company, translation of original by Ranulf Higden, published 1871, page 251Synonyms: collate
- obsoleterareTo insert or assimilate into a written system or scheme.First known use 16th c.
- obsoleterareTo bring an area of study within the comprehension capacity of a person.First known use 17th c.
- obsoleteTo reduce to a particular condition or state, especially one that is undesirable.First known use 16th–18th c.
[…] the grite penuritie and indigence quhairunto the puir handy-labouraris, and utheris his hienes subiectis of all esteatis ar redactit be that occasioun, […]
1595, Robert Pitcairn, Ancient Criminal Trials in Scotland: Comp. from the Original Records and Mss., with Historical Illustrations, volume 1, Edinburgh: William Tait, published 1833, section II, page 352 - obsoleteTo reduce something physical to a certain form, especially by destruction.First known use 16th–17th c.
[…] the principall mans or manerie of thame lordis Erilis of Orchadie hes beine syndrie tymis brint and redactit till nocht […]
1554, Dean Thomas Guild, Monk of Newbattle, “Diploma of Thomas, Bishop of Orkney and Zetland, and the Chapter of Kirkwall, Addressed to Eric King of Norway, Respecting the Genealogy of William Saint Clair, Earl of Orkney.”, in The Bannatyne Miscellany; Containing Original Papers and Tracts, Chiefly Relating to the History and Literature of Scotland, volume 3, Edinburgh: Ballantyne and Company, published 1855, page 72
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo gather or organize works or ideas into a unified whole; to collect, order, or write in a written document or to put into a particular written form.
More synonyms by meaning
nounsomeone who puts text into appropriate form for publication
verbformulate in a particular style or language
verbprepare for publication or presentation by correcting, revising, or adapting
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinredactus
- Old Frenchredacter
- Englishredact
From Old French redacter, from Latin redactus, perfect passive participle of redigō (“drive, lead, collect, reduce”), from re- (“back”) + agō (“put in motion, drive”). Piecewise doublet of react.
More words from Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian редактирам
- редактирам (redaktiram)to reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
Danish overstrege
- overstregeto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
Dutch redigeren
- redigerento reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
Esperanto obskurigi
- obskurigito censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
Finnish poistaa, peittää
- poistaato censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- peittääto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- sensuroidato censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- toimittaato reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
French censurer, caviarder
- censurerto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- caviarderto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
German bearbeiten, redigieren
- bearbeitento censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- redigierento censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- schwärzento censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
Hungarian anonimizál, szerkeszt
- anonimizálto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- szerkesztto reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
- meghúzto reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
- lerövidítto reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
- kivonatolto reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
Italian oscurare
- oscurareto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
Norwegian Bokmål sladde
- sladdeto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
Polish cenzurować, ocenzurować
- cenzurowaćto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- ocenzurowaćto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- redagowaćto reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
- zredagowaćto reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
Portuguese expurgar, censurar
- expurgarto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- censurarto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
Russian редакти́ровать, цензури́ровать
- редакти́ровать (redaktírovatʹ)to censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- цензури́ровать (cenzurírovatʹ)to censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- облека́ть в литерату́рную фо́рму (oblekátʹ v literatúrnuju fórmu)to reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
- редакти́ровать (redaktírovatʹ)to reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
- составля́ть (sostavljátʹ)to reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
Spanish expurgar, testar
- expurgarto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- testarto censor, to black out or remove parts of (a document) while leaving the remainder
- redactarto reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
Swedish redigera
- redigerato reduce to form, as literary matter; to digest and put in shape
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with redact
Anagrams
Cite this entry
redact. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/redact
“redact.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/redact. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “redact,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/redact.
Source: redact on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.