abortion
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a medical procedure or natural event that ends a pregnancy before the baby is born.
the expulsion or removal of an embryo or foetus from the uterus before it is able to survive on its own.
Simple“The law regarding abortion varies significantly from one country to another.”
In context“The clinic provides comprehensive reproductive healthcare services, including counseling for patients considering a medical abortion.”
UsageOften used with the verbs 'have', 'perform', or 'undergo'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the act of stopping a plan or project before it is finished because it is failing.
the premature cessation or abandonment of a project, mission, or process.
Simple“The abortion of the space mission was necessary due to a fuel leak.”
In context“The sudden abortion of the merger talks left investors concerned about the company's long-term stability.”
UsageCommonly used in technical or military contexts regarding missions.
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
when an organ or part of a plant stops growing before it is fully formed.
the arrest of development of an organ or organism, resulting in an imperfect or incomplete formation.
Simple“The disease caused the abortion of the flower buds before they could bloom.”
In context“Genetic mutations can lead to the abortion of limb development during the embryonic stage of the organism.”
SynonymsatrophystuntingAntonyms
Usage abortion rights
“Flock cameras have been used by police to not only track former and current romantic partners, but in one case, even a woman who had had an abortion , external .”
“These concerns have grown since the US supreme court’s reversal of its Roe v Wade decision guaranteeing the right to abortions.”
From the Latin abortiōnem, the accusative form of abortiō, which in turn derives from aborior, meaning to miscarry. This Latin introduction eventually displaced the native Old English ǣwyrp, which translated literally as a throwing out or a rejection. The modern term is the morphological equivalent of abort + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.