noun
Common
abortion
uh-BAWR-shn
Abortion (noun) means the deliberate ending of a pregnancy before the foetus can survive on its own. Example: “She travelled to another city to have an abortion.”
noun
1
The deliberate ending of a pregnancy before the foetus can survive on its own.
"She travelled to another city to have an abortion."
"The clinic offers counselling before and after an abortion."
2
A pregnancy that ends naturally and too early to produce a surviving baby; a miscarriage.
"The farmer lost several ewes to abortion during the cold spring."
"Disease can cause abortion in cattle, so the vet tested the herd."
"The vet suspected the mare had suffered a spontaneous abortion."
3
The failure or collapse of a plan, project, or process partway through.
"The sudden abortion of the rocket launch disappointed the waiting crowd."
"A lack of volunteers caused the abortion of the town's festival plans."
"Budget cuts led to the abortion of the entire research programme."
How to use abortion
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEnding a pregnancy before birth, either on purpose (a medical procedure) or naturally (a miscarriage) — context usually makes clear which.
When to use it
A sensitive, often politically charged topic; medical and legal writing use it neutrally, but tone matters a lot in everyday conversation.
Common pairings
have an abortion
abortion rights
spontaneous abortion
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Word forms
- Plural
- abortions
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She travelled to another city to have an _____.
Etymology
From Latin abortio, "miscarriage," built from the verb aborior, "to fail to be born" or "to miscarry" — the same root gives us "abort."
Synonyms
View more →
miscarriage
pregnancy loss
spontaneous abortion
induced abortion
abort
abortus
aborticide
embryoctony
foeticide
feticide
termination
Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for abortion
region
ablation
allusion
emulsion
ideation
novation
diffusion
elocution
extension
oxidation
perfusion
selection
See all rhymes for abortion →
Frequently asked questions
What does “abortion” mean?
The word “abortion” means the deliberate ending of a pregnancy before the foetus can survive on its own. In plain terms, ending a pregnancy before birth, either on purpose (a medical procedure) or naturally (a miscarriage) — context usually makes clear which.
How do you pronounce “abortion”?
“Abortion” is pronounced uh-BAWR-shn (/əˈbɔɹ.ʃn̩/ in IPA).
How do you use “abortion” in a sentence?
Here is “abortion” used in a sentence: “She travelled to another city to have an abortion.”
What is another word for “abortion”?
Words with a similar meaning to “abortion” include abort, abortus, aborticide, embryoctony, foeticide and feticide.
What part of speech is “abortion”?
“Abortion” is a noun.
Where does the word “abortion” come from?
The word “abortion” comes from Latin. From Latin abortio, "miscarriage," built from the verb aborior, "to fail to be born" or "to miscarry" — the same root gives us "abort.".
Is “abortion” a common word?
“Abortion” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “abortion” have?
“Abortion” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the deliberate ending of a pregnancy before the foetus can survive on its own.
What is the difference between an abortion and a miscarriage?
In everyday use, 'abortion' usually means the deliberate ending of a pregnancy, while a 'miscarriage' is a pregnancy that ends naturally and too early to produce a surviving baby. In older medical language, a miscarriage was also called a 'spontaneous abortion.'
What is the difference between abortion and termination?
'Termination,' short for 'termination of pregnancy,' is a more clinical and neutral synonym for a deliberate abortion. Both words describe the same procedure, but 'termination' is often preferred in medical settings.
Why is a miscarriage sometimes called a 'spontaneous abortion'?
In medicine, 'abortion' broadly means the ending of a pregnancy before the foetus can survive on its own. A miscarriage happens naturally rather than by intention, so it is technically a 'spontaneous abortion,' while a deliberate one is called an 'induced abortion.'
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