abortive

[ uh-bawr-tiv ]

/ əˈbɔr tɪv /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR abortive ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

failing to succeed; unsuccessful: an abortive rebellion; an abortive scheme.

born prematurely.

imperfectly developed; rudimentary.

Medicine/Medical.

producing or intended to produce abortion; abortifacient.
acting to halt progress of a disease.

Pathology. (of the course of a disease) short and mild without the usual, pronounced clinical symptoms.

Botany. (of seeds or pollen grains) imperfect; unable to germinate.

Nearby words

abortigenic, abortion, abortion pill, abortion-on-demand, abortionist, abortive, abortive transduction, abortus, abortus bang ring test, aboudikro, abought

Origin of abortive

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English word from Latin word abortīvus. See abort, -ive

SYNONYMS FOR abortive

1 fruitless, ineffectual, bootless, unavailing, vain.

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ANTONYMS FOR abortive

1 successful.

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Related forms

a·bor·tive·ly, adverba·bor·tive·ness, nounnon·a·bort·ive, adjectivenon·a·bort·ive·ly, adverb

non·a·bort·ive·ness, nounun·a·bor·tive, adjectiveun·a·bor·tive·ly, adverbun·a·bor·tive·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for abortive

Migraine drugs fall into two categories: preventive and abortive.
How to Destroy Your Headaches|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|June 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One time was an abortive interview about the U.S. wars in Indochina which ended with him stomping off.
Bloody Bloody Richard Nixon’s Role in a Forgotten Genocide|Nick Turse|September 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Ross later defined this as "the only new idea" that Arafat had presented at the abortive peace talks.
Temple Denial|Benny Morris|April 24, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He recalled previous failed Special Forces operations, including Desert One, the abortive hostage rescue attempt in Iran in 1980.
The Defense Secretary's Exit Interview|John Barry|June 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST

They rise from the ruins of one abortive sentence, to launch forth into another with 54 unabated vigour.
The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. XXII (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson
He was an albino and chiefly remembered for his abortive attempt to tax matches, giving rise to the joke “ex luce lucellum.”
Fifty-One Years of Victorian Life|Margaret Elizabeth Leigh Child-Villiers, Countess of Jersey
Owing to an abortive and obscurely originated action for libel, the whole matter revives.
Lord Randolph Churchill|Winston Spencer Churchill
Maxwell pulled out his handkerchief, and made an abortive effort to get his face clean.
Hepsey Burke|Frank Noyes Westcott
Abortive adventures of this kind have in our own time been witnessed.
Charles Dickens as a Reader|Charles Kent

British Dictionary definitions for abortive

abortive

/ (əˈbɔːtɪv) /

adjective

failing to achieve a purpose; fruitless

(of organisms) imperfectly developed; rudimentary

causing abortion; abortifacient

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for abortive

abortive

[ ə-bôr′tĭv ]

adj.

Not reaching completion, as of a disease subsiding before it has finished its course.

Partially or imperfectly developed; rudimentary.

Abortifacient.

Related forms

a•bor′tive•ly adv.