Expurgates

To expurgate is to remove objectionable or offensive material from a text or account, often for moral, political, or social reasons. This process aims to purify the content by deleting or modifying anything considered harmful, indecent, or unsuitable for a particular audience. It's a deliberate act of censorship, intended to make the remaining content acceptable or palatable, even if it compromises the original integrity of the work. Expurgation typically targets language, themes, or graphic content, and the criteria for determining what is objectionable varies significantly depending on context, societal norms, and the intended audience. This can impact a work's authenticity and may be controversial.

Expurgates meaning with examples

• The publisher decided to **expurgate** the novel, removing several scenes deemed too sexually explicit for the young adult audience, leaving the original author frustrated that their vision was compromised, and leading to criticism from readers who felt that the integrity of the story was sacrificed.
• During the McCarthy era, many films were **expurgated** of any perceived communist sympathies. These films were edited or recut, to delete any scenes or dialogues that could be construed as supporting left-wing ideologies or political agendas, and thus, altering their meaning and impacting their artistic merit.
• The editor had to **expurgate** certain phrases from the manuscript. These phrases were viewed as potentially offensive by the publisher's legal team, specifically the use of racial slurs, even in historical fiction, for their potential to cause public outrage or legal challenges.
• When preparing the children's edition of the classic fairy tales, the translator carefully **expurgated** all the violent and frightening elements. By removing darker aspects, such as implied death or violence, they provided a safer, more child-friendly version for young readers, softening the original narratives.
• In preparation for broadcasting the controversial play, the network was forced to **expurgate** the dialogue. They muted certain sections, or edited out the swearing and allusions that were likely to be offensive to some audience members, in order to maintain their programming standards.