1
: an act or instance of redacting something
2
: a work that has been redacted : edition, version

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The judge's full opinion, which includes the specific remedies, will remain under seal for 14 days to allow the parties to review it and propose any necessary redactions. ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026 Judge Leonie Brinkema has sealed the order for 14 days, giving the parties a chance to request redactions. Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026 Gemini's agents can assist with contract review and redlining, legal and policy research, regulatory monitoring, drafting NDAs, preparing documents for redaction, creating contracting playbooks and handling data-subject access requests. Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 Enterprise customers receive even more features, such as larger team sizes, SSO account management, AI redaction and risk assessment tools, and unlimited bandwidth and storage. Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for redaction

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of redaction was in 1785

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Cite this Entry

“Redaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redaction. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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