abortive
adjective
abor·tive
ə-ˈbȯr-tiv 
1
obsolete
: prematurely born
2
3
: imperfectly formed or developed
4
: tending to cut short
abortively
adverb
abortiveness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of abortive in a Sentence
an abortive attempt to recover the sunken pirate ship
Recent Examples on the Web
One is Eliot Spitzer, who during his abortive tenure as governor, knocked heads to get slow-mo insurers to pay the giant settlement that a court had awarded to Silverstein.
—
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2024
The picture arrives, of course, at a fallow time for Marvel after a string of duds and an abortive attempt to introduce a new superhero phase following the climactic, stage-clearing (and absurdly lucrative) battles of Avengers: Endgame.
—Zoe Guy, Vulture, 25 July 2024
The abortive investigation was overseen by Ralph Barrington, the head of the Criminal Investigation Department at the Essex Police.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
The novel’s denouement finds Lucy planning to stay on the farm to raise her child and David, humbled by an abortive attempt to return to Cape Town, working in the animal shelter near her property.
—Lauren Leblanc, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for abortive 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2024
The picture arrives, of course, at a fallow time for Marvel after a string of duds and an abortive attempt to introduce a new superhero phase following the climactic, stage-clearing (and absurdly lucrative) battles of Avengers: Endgame.
—Zoe Guy, Vulture, 25 July 2024
The abortive investigation was overseen by Ralph Barrington, the head of the Criminal Investigation Department at the Essex Police.
—Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 29 July 2024
The novel’s denouement finds Lucy planning to stay on the farm to raise her child and David, humbled by an abortive attempt to return to Cape Town, working in the animal shelter near her property.
—Lauren Leblanc, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for abortive
Dictionary Entries Near abortive
Cite this Entry
“Abortive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abortive. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
abortive
adjective
abor·tive
ə-ˈbȯrt-iv
1
: unsuccessful in achieving the desired conclusion or result
an abortive escape attempt
2
: imperfectly formed or developed : rudimentary
abortively
adverb
abortiveness
noun
Medical Definition
abortive
adjective
abor·tive
ə-ˈbȯrt-iv
1
: imperfectly formed or developed : rudimentary
2
a
b
: cutting short
abortive treatment of pneumonia
c
: failing to develop completely or typically
an abortive case of poliomyelitis
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share