edit

1.nounB1

Definition

a single change made to a piece of writing, a film, or a recording in order to improve it or get it ready for people to see or hear

Example

Owen made several edits to his essay, fixing the grammar and rewriting the conclusion.

collocation: make edits to

The film's final edit cut the opening scene and shortened several dialogue sequences.

final edit = last version

Common collocations

make edits to
minor edits
final edit
major edit
last-minute edit

Synonyms

revision
more formal and usually refers to written work rather than film or audio
correction
narrower — only about fixing mistakes, not rearranging or cutting
amendment
formal; often used for legal or official documents

Grammar Patterns

make + edit(s) to + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often used with numbers or modifiers to show how many changes were made: 'a few edits', 'minor edits', 'one last edit'.

Common Mistakes

The editor made an edition to the text.

The editor made an edit to the text.

'edition' means a published version (e.g. first edition), not a single change.

I need to do an edit on my homework.

I need to make edits to my homework.

'make edits to' is the natural collocation.

2.nounB2

Definition

a collection of products, especially clothes or home goods, chosen by a shop or designer for a particular season, theme, or purpose

Example

The spring edit at the department store features light jackets and pastel colours.

spring edit = seasonal collection

The store's new edit of home goods features hand-picked ceramics from local potters.

Common collocations

spring edit
summer edit
fashion edit
new edit
capsule edit

Synonyms

collection
more general — an edit is a specifically curated subset of a collection
selection
broader — an edit is a selection made with a particular theme or style in mind
curation
the process behind the selection rather than the items themselves

Grammar Patterns

[season/theme] + edit

the + noun + edit

Usage Note

This sense is mainly used in retail, fashion, and lifestyle contexts. It almost always appears with a preceding word that tells the theme or season, such as 'spring edit', 'fashion edit', or 'capsule edit'.

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1

Definition

to improve a piece of writing, a film, or a recording by correcting mistakes, cutting unwanted parts, or rearranging sections before it is published or shown to other people

Example

Felix spent the weekend editing his novel before sending it to the publisher.

edit + possessive + noun (text)

The video editor carefully edited the interview footage to remove the background noise.

edit + footage — typical media object

Common collocations

edit carefully
heavily edited
edit a document
edit footage
edit a photo

Synonyms

revise
more common for written work; implies careful re-reading and improving, not necessarily for publication
proofread
narrower — only checking for errors, not rearranging or cutting content
amend
formal; used for official documents or laws

Grammar Patterns

edit + noun phrase

edit (no object)

edit + noun phrase + for + purpose

Usage Note

The object is typically the work itself (an article, a film, a photo), not the person who created it. When used intransitively, the thing being edited is clear from context: 'She was editing all morning.'

Common Mistakes

I edited my essay from the beginning.' (when meaning 'I wrote it from scratch')

I wrote my essay from the beginning.

'edit' means changing existing work, not creating it.

I need to edit my friend's English.

I need to correct my friend's English.

'edit' applies to texts and media, not to people's speech directly.

2.verbtransitiveB2

Definition

to decide which articles, stories, or features appear in a newspaper, magazine, or journal and check that they meet the required quality and style

Example

Samir edits the sports section for a national newspaper with a large readership.

edit + [section] for [publication]

Cyrus edits the university newspaper and decides which stories appear on the front page.

Common collocations

edit a newspaper
edit a magazine
edit a section
edit a journal

Synonyms

manage
broader — managing involves budgets and staff; editing is specifically about content
oversee
more formal; focuses on supervision rather than hands-on content work
direct
implies setting the overall direction rather than checking day-to-day content

Grammar Patterns

edit + newspaper/magazine/section

be edited by + person

Usage Note

Frequently used in the passive voice to describe who is responsible for a publication: 'The paper is edited by...' Distinguish from sense 1 — sense 1 focuses on changing the content of a single text, while sense 2 is about overseeing the whole publication process.

Common Mistakes

She edits the article of the newspaper.

She edits the newspaper.

When you 'edit a newspaper', you are in charge of the entire publication, not just one article.

3.verbtransitiveB1

Definition

to remove unwanted parts from a longer piece of writing, film, or recording, especially to improve the final result or meet legal or moral standards

Example

The censors edited the swear words from the television broadcast.

edit + [unwanted content] + from + [media]

Ziad edited several long speeches from his documentary to keep it under an hour.

Common collocations

edit out
edit from
edit completely

Synonyms

cut
more direct and informal; 'cut a scene' is common in film editing
remove
more general and neutral; doesn't carry the nuance of preparing for publication
delete
usually refers to digital files rather than physical printed text

Antonyms

insert
to add something back in

Grammar Patterns

edit + noun phrase + out

edit + noun phrase + from + noun phrase

Usage Note

Often combines with the particle 'out' ('edit out') to emphasise that something is being removed completely. The removed item can be undesirable content (mistakes, swear words, dull sections) or material that makes the work too long.

Common Mistakes

I edited the mistake out from the article.

I took the mistake out of the article / I edited the article.

'Edit out' works better for larger sections than for single errors.

Phrasal verbs

edit out

phrasal verb

to remove something unwanted from a longer piece of writing, film, or recording during the editing process

The director decided to edit out the entire first scene because the pacing was too slow.

You should edit out any personal details from the document before sharing it online.

Word family

editor
nounB1
edition
nounB1
editorial
adjectiveB2
editorial
nounB2
editing
nounB1
unedited
adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words involve improving a text, but they differ in scope and register. 'Edit' is the broadest — it covers correcting mistakes, cutting, rearranging, and preparing something for publication or public viewing. 'Revise' is more common for student writing and implies careful re-reading to improve the content, structure, or argument; it does not necessarily involve publication. 'Proofread' is the narrowest — it means only checking for surface errors like typos, spelling, and punctuation without changing the content or structure. 'Amend' is formal and used almost exclusively for official documents, laws, or contracts; it suggests a precise, minor change rather than a full overhaul. For example: an author edits a novel for months, a student revises an essay before the deadline, an assistant proofreads a report for typos, and a committee amends a clause in a contract.

edit ↗revise ↗proofreadamend ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

make edits to
edit something out
the final edit

Prepositions

from
into
out of

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word 'edit' was formed by working backwards from 'editor', which came from the Latin 'editor' meaning 'one who puts forth or publishes'. The Latin root 'edere' combines 'e-' (out) and 'dare' (to give), so the original idea was 'to give out' — that is, to publish something for others to see. The modern sense of 'making changes' emerged in the 1700s as editors began not just publishing but also improving texts before they appeared in print.

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edit

edit — noun

1. a single change made to a piece of writing, a film, or a recording in order to i

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. a collection of products, especially clothes or home goods, chosen by a shop or

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

edit — verb

1. to improve a piece of writing, a film, or a recording by correcting mistakes, cu

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. to decide which articles, stories, or features appear in a newspaper, magazine,

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

3. to remove unwanted parts from a longer piece of writing, film, or recording, esp

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

edit out

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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