abortion

American  

[uh-bawr-shuhn] / əˈbɔr ʃən /

noun

• abortions
  plural

1. Also called voluntary abortion. the removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy.

2. any of various surgical methods for terminating a pregnancy, especially during the first six months.

3. Also called spontaneous abortion. miscarriage.

4. an immature and nonviable fetus.

5. abortus.

6. any malformed or monstrous person, thing, etc.

7. Biology. the arrested development of an embryo or an organ at a more or less early stage.

8. the stopping of an illness, infection, etc., at a very early stage.

9. Informal.

   1. shambles; mess.

   2. anything that fails to develop, progress, or mature, as a design or project.

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abortion British  

/ əˈbɔːʃən /

noun

1. an operation or other procedure to terminate pregnancy before the fetus is viable

2. the premature termination of pregnancy by spontaneous or induced expulsion of a nonviable fetus from the uterus

3. the products of abortion; an aborted fetus

4. the arrest of development of an organ

5. a failure to develop to completion or maturity

   the project proved an abortion

6. a person or thing that is deformed

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abortion Scientific  

/ ə-bôr′shən /

1. Induced termination of pregnancy, involving destruction of the embryo or fetus.

2. Any of various procedures that result in such termination.

3. Spontaneous abortion; miscarriage.

4. Cessation of a normal or abnormal process before completion.

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abortion ¹ Cultural  

1. The ending of pregnancy and expulsion of the embryo or fetus, generally before the embryo or fetus is capable of surviving on its own. Abortion may be brought on intentionally by artificial means (induced abortion) or may occur naturally (spontaneous abortion, which is commonly referred to as a miscarriage). (Compare stillbirth; see also family planning and population control.)

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abortion ² Cultural  

1. The deliberate termination of a pregnancy, usually before the embryo or fetus is capable of independent life. In medical contexts, this procedure is called an induced abortion and is distinguished from a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) or stillbirth.

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Discover More

Abortion laws are extremely controversial. Those who describe themselves as “pro-choice” believe that the decision to have an abortion should be left to the mother. In contrast, the “pro-life” faction, arguing that abortion is killing, holds that the state should prohibit abortion in most cases. Feminists (see feminism) (see also feminism) and liberals generally support the pro-choice side; Roman Catholics and Protestant fundamentalists generally back the pro-life side. (See Roe versus Wade.)

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• abortional
  adjective
• postabortion
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• abortions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of abortion

First recorded in 1540–50, abortion is from the Latin word abortiōn- (stem of abortiō ). See abort, -ion

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Explanation

Abortion is a medical procedure that ends a pregnancy. In the United States, the public debate over a women's right to have an abortion is a complex and heated political issue. The words abort and abortion can also apply to non-pregnancy related topics. If you are in the middle of a jewel-heist and the alarm on the vault is tripped, you and your partners in crime might opt to abort the plan and run while you can, debating whether the plan's abortion was a good decision or not later.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

abortion abortions

Puerto has written about how she got pregnant in 2022 and had no clear way to leave the state for an abortion, especially since she was helping to take care of her ailing mother.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

Mr. Mungiu, a Romanian, won the Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or for this work, and also won it for his 2007 abortion drama, “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

They added that "all major abortion providers offer counselling and advice on the options available".

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Rather than a typical medical clinic, it provides women with access to resources, including pills, and a space to be able to seek support or carry out the pharmacological abortion.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Suddenly and without warning, Nicolae Ceaujescu declared abortion illegal.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

Actually identifying the vast majority of doctors who facilitate abortions would be challenging, to say the least.

From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026

At an abortion awareness rally in 1969 where women were sharing their experiences of having abortions, Steinem was encouraged to share her own story about terminating a pregnancy.

From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026

Since the early 1970s, Steinem used her voice and influence to work toward legalizing safe abortions while championing survivors of rape and domestic violence and pushing for equal pay in the workplace.

From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026

It also featured an open letter from 53 prominent women — including tennis great Billie Jean King, singer Judy Collins and Steinem — who revealed that they had undergone abortions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

Could she check the clinic’s records and see if Bebe Chow’s name appeared in the list of recent abortions?

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

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Related Words

• miscarriage

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