Abortions
/əˈbɔːrʃənz/
nounIntermediate📊CommonMedical
1 meaning1 question
Definitions
1
The act of ending a pregnancy by removing or expelling the embryo or fetus from the uterus.
/əˈbɔːrʃənz/
nounneutralIntermediate
Medical
Termination of a pregnancy
The issue of abortion is highly debated.
💡 Simply: When a pregnancy stops before the baby can be born.
More Examples
2
Abortions were legal in many countries before Roe v. Wade.
How It's Used
Medical
"Induced abortions are often performed in the early stages of pregnancy."
From Latin *abortus*, past participle of *aborrescere*, 'to miscarry, to be cut short.'
Historically, the term 'abortion' has been used in a variety of contexts, from medical to social, with shifting perceptions and legal frameworks.
Memory tip
Ab - Short for 'aborted', like a pregnancy that stops.
Word Origin
LanguageLatin
Original meaning
"to miscarry, to be cut short"
Base: abort
safe abortionlegal abortionabortion rightsabortion debateunwanted pregnancy
Common misspellings
abortionsabbortionsabortuions
Practice
Usage
10%Spoken
90%Written