1. relating to or involving the removal of objectionable or offensive material from a text or publication
Usage: formal; often used in literary or publishing contexts

Examples

• The publisher took an expurgatorial approach to the classic novel, removing passages deemed inappropriate for young readers.
• Expurgatorial editions of historical texts sometimes obscure the author's original intent.
• The committee's expurgatorial review of the manuscript raised concerns among literary critics.
• Many expurgatorial versions of older literature have been replaced by unabridged editions in modern libraries.