‘删节’ (shān jié) is a compound word meaning ‘abridgement’ (noun) or ‘to abridge’ (verb). It combines 删 (shān), meaning ‘to delete’ or ‘to cut out’, and 节 (jié), meaning ‘section’ or ‘portion’. Together, they literally convey ‘cutting away sections’ — referring to the removal of parts of a text, speech, film, or other content to shorten it while preserving its core meaning. It’s commonly used in publishing, media, education, and official communications.

This term carries a neutral-to-formal register and often implies intentional, editorial reduction rather than casual omission. It frequently appears with verbs like ‘进行’ (to carry out), ‘作出’ (to make), or ‘被’ (passive voice), as in ‘被删节的版本’ (the abridged version). Unlike simple deletion (删除), 删节 suggests selective, purposeful trimming for clarity, length constraints, or appropriateness — for example, adapting a novel for classroom use or editing a documentary for broadcast standards.