# abort

/əˈbɔɹt/ (US) · /ɐbˈɔːt/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abort
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

to stop a process or plan before it is finished, usually because something has gone wrong. You use this when you need to cancel an action immediately.

For teachers: to terminate a procedure, mission, or process prematurely, typically due to a fault or safety concern. Often used in technical, military, or computing contexts.

## Examples

- The pilot had to abort the takeoff due to a warning light.
- The software will abort the installation if it detects that there is not enough disk space available.
- Ground control made the difficult decision to abort the mission after a critical failure in the secondary cooling system was identified during the final countdown.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The system was aborted by the error." but "The system aborted due to the error." — In computing, 'abort' is often used intransitively to describe a program stopping itself, rather than being the object of the action.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive when referring to a specific plan or process, but can be used intransitively in emergency commands.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.