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redact

rih-DAKT /rɪˈdækt/

verbC1GRESAT

formallegal

To edit text or remove sensitive information from a document prior to publication.

In modern usage, specifically implies blacking out or obscuring confidential details for security or privacy.

The story behind the word. From Latin 'redigere' (re- back + agere to drive). Originally in English, 'redact' meant simply to frame or organize thoughts into written form. Over time, the word shifted in editing and law to mean paring down or cutting out sensitive parts, leading to today's meaning of blacking out sensitive text.

Word relationships

censor: Censor implies suppressing ideas deemed harmful or unacceptable, whereas redact is the administrative act of removing specific sensitive data.

disclose: Disclose means to make secret or sensitive information public.

Commonly confused with

edit: Edit means improving or refining text for clarity, whereas redact specifically means removing or obscuring restricted information.

Word family

redaction (noun): the process of editing or blacking out text
redactor (noun): a person who redacts text

Collocations

heavily redacted
redact sensitive information
redact names
redacted document

Example sentences

"Government officials had to redact classified names and addresses before releasing the investigative report to the press." Legal and government publishing
"The judge ordered attorneys to redact all social security numbers from public court filings." Real citation from court reporting

Memory hook

RE-DACT = REDUCE text by blacking out secrets. Black out sensitive text.

When not to use

Do not use to mean general proofreading for grammar; redact specifically means omitting or obscuring information.

Fun facts

Digital redaction fails occur frequently when users place black rectangles over text in PDFs without deleting the underlying text data!