Word of the day: Expurgate

Expurgate

[ek-sper-geyt]

verb

1. to remove objectionable or unsuitable material from a text; to censor or edit out offensive or inappropriate content

Examples of expurgate in a sentence:

• The editor was instructed to expurgate any profanity from the manuscript before publication.

• Certain passages of the novel were expurgated to comply with censorship regulations.

Expurgate comes from the Latin word expurgāre, which means "to cleanse" or "to purify." When a text is expurgated, certain parts deemed offensive, inappropriate, or objectionable are removed or revised to make the content more acceptable to a particular audience or to comply with censorship standards. Expurgation has been practiced throughout history for various reasons, including moral, religious, or political considerations. While expurgation can sometimes be necessary to address sensitive content, it also raises questions about freedom of expression and the preservation of literary integrity.