Bowdlerism refers to the censoring or removing of parts of a book, article, or movie that may be considered offensive or inappropriate. Synonyms for bowdlerism include expurgation, sanitization, pruning, excision, and censorship. All these words suggest the act of removing or editing parts of the original material to make it more acceptable to a particular audience or community. Related words include redaction, abridgment, and revision, all of which involve altering the content of a text, sometimes to achieve a specific goal or aim, such as making it more readable, persuasive, or informative.