# abortiveness

CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abortiveness
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

the quality of being short-lived or failing to reach a successful end. It describes a situation that stops before it can finish what it started.

For teachers: the quality of being short-lived, premature, or failing to achieve a complete result. Often used to describe processes or projects that terminate before reaching their intended conclusion.

## Examples

- The project suffered from a lack of abortiveness.
- The committee noted the abortiveness of several previous attempts to reform the tax code.
- While the initial phase of the experiment showed promise, the overall abortiveness of the program led to a complete withdrawal of funding from the research department.

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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.