Abortive Meaning
/əˈbɔɹ.tɪv/Definition, CEFR level C2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjProduced by abortion; born prematurely and therefore unnatural.
adjComing to nothing; failing in its effect. .
Sentence Examples
Their effort proved abortive.
an abortive child
Their abortive attempt to climb the mountain ended due to bad weather.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
Their ____ attempt to climb the mountain ended in failure due to bad weather.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
They made an ____ attempt to climb the mountain in winter.
Word Origin & History
First attested in 1382, with the meaning "causing stillbirth or miscarriage". From Middle English abortif, from Old French abortif, from Latin abortīvus (“causing abortion”), from aborior (“miscarry, disappear”), from ab (“amiss”) + orior (“appear, be born, arise”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Thou elvish-marked, abortive, rooting hog!"
— c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
"[…] and with utter loss of being / Threatens him, plung'd in that abortive gulf."
— 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, published 1799:
"The king in vain excused his hasty retreats and abortive enterprises"
— 1838, William H. Prescott, History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella:
"He made a salutation, or, to speak nearer the truth, an ill-defined, abortive attempt at curtsy."
— 1851 April 9, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of the Seven Gables, a Romance, Boston, Mass.: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, →OCLC:
"Not surprisingly, ERS has that market covered. It now owns all five of the vehicles fitted with generators for the abortive Nightstar services through the Channel Tunnel."
— 2025 October 29, James Steward tells Joe Campbell, “Thriving on the stock exchange”, in RAIL, number 1047, page 46:
Explore More C2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Their ____ attempt to climb the mountain ended in failure due to bad weather.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
They made an ____ attempt to climb the mountain in winter.