“Redacted” means that some information has been deliberately edited out or hidden in a document, usually to protect sensitive or confidential details.

Core meaning

  • Redacted usually refers to text that has been removed or blacked out before a document is shared, while the rest of the document stays visible.
  • This is common in government, legal, and corporate documents where things like names, addresses, or classified information must be kept private.

How it looks in practice

  • You’ll often see thick black bars over words or lines in a PDF or scanned file; those covered parts are the redacted sections.
  • Sometimes instead of black bars, the hidden parts are replaced with markers like “[REDACTED]” to show that something was intentionally removed.

Why information gets redacted

  • To protect privacy, such as personal data, medical details, or financial information.
  • To protect security or confidentiality, like national security details, trade secrets, or sensitive investigation information.

Related words

  • Redaction : the process of editing a document to conceal or remove sensitive information.
  • Unredacted : a version where nothing has been hidden, so all the original information is still visible.

In short, if you see something marked “REDACTED,” it means that part was intentionally hidden before you were allowed to see the document.