abortion
noun
Simple meaning
The expulsion from the womb of a foetus or embryo before it is fully developed.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhbawrshuhnSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
əˈbɔɹʃən
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
medicine
The expulsion from the womb of a foetus or embryo before it is fully developed, with loss of the foetus.
figuratively
Failure or abandonment of a project, promise, goal etc.
An induced abortion.
Failure of a plan
figuratively
A misshapen person or thing; a monstrosity.
The cessation of an illness or disease at a very early stage.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The expulsion from the womb of a foetus or embryo before it is fully developed, with loss of the foetus.
'Abortion' refers to the medical procedure or spontaneous event ending a pregnancy. It's a highly sensitive and politically charged word, often used in both clinical and social discussions.
- Emotional tone
- Slightly negative
- Formality
- Specialist/technical
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Specialized
- Connotation
- Critical or judgemental
- Usage feel
- Clinical and detached
Where you'll really hear it
Medical office
“She discussed options for abortion with her doctor.”
News report
“The state passed new laws regulating abortion access.”
Sociology class
“The debate around abortion rights is complex.”
Where it naturally appears
- Medicine/healthcare
- Science
- Technical/specialist writing
Usage note
In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use abortion
- “The doctor discussed the risks and options associated with an abortion.”noun
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.