abortion

US/əˈbɔɹ.ʃn̩/

nounB2+Common in everyday speech and writing · #2,973 of 15,258leans written

Other forms: abortions

An abortion is the deliberate ending of a pregnancy. Have an abortion, abortion law, access to abortion.

Medically it is done with pills or by a procedure, and earlier is simpler. The law varies enormously between countries and is among the most argued-over questions in public life, with people disagreeing in good faith about when protection begins. Note that a spontaneous abortion is the medical term for a miscarriage.

Definitions of abortion

1nounabortionThe deliberate ending of a pregnancy.B2+
“The debate over abortion laws divides the country.”

abortion is a medical procedure.

Where it comes from

Latin abortio comes from aboriri, to miscarry — ab, away, plus oriri, to be born.

Proto-Indo-European
*h₃er-
Latin
abortiō — miscarriage, abortion
English, today
abortion

Built from

aborior · Latin — to miscarry

From Latin abortiō (“miscarriage, abortion”), from aborior (“to miscarry”). Equivalent to abort + ion. Displaced native ǣwyrp.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practise this word

abortion in the wild

Common reasons for inducing an abortion are birth-timing and limiting family size.
Abortion
When performed legally and safely on a woman who desires it, an induced abortion does not increase the risk of long-term mental or physical problems.
Abortion
McCorvey wanted an abortion but lived in Texas, where abortion was legal only when necessary to save the mother's life.
Roe v. Wade
In the United States, abortion is a divisive issue in politics and culture wars.
Abortion in the United States
Prior to the mid-19th century, English common law formed the basis of abortion law in the colonies and the early Republic.
Abortion in the United States

1 / 3

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

← Vocabulary