verb (used with object), ex·pur·gat·ed, ex·pur·gat·ing.
- to amend by removing words, passages, etc., deemed offensive or objectionable: Most children read an expurgated version of Grimms’ fairy tales.
- to purge or cleanse of moral offensiveness.
adjective
- (of a book, text, etc) not amended or censored by removing potentially offensive material
verb
- (tr) to amend (a book, text, etc) by removing (obscene or offensive sections)
adj.1882, from un- (1) “not” + past participle of expurgate. v.1620s, back-formation from expurgation or from Latin expurgatus, past participle of expurgare “to cleanse out, purge, purify” (see expurgation). Related: Expurgated; expurgating. The earlier verb was simply expurge (late 15c.), from Middle French expurger. To clean up, remove impurities. An expurgated edition of a book has had offensive words or descriptions changed or removed.