mifepristone

noun

mi·​fep·​ris·​tone ˌmi-fə-ˈpri-ˌstōn 

mi-ˈfe-pri-ˌstōn

: a drug C₂₉H₃₅NO₂ taken orally to induce abortion especially early in pregnancy by blocking the body's use of progesterone

called also RU-486

Examples of mifepristone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And one point of debate is mifepristone, a drug that’s commonly administered to induce abortions during the early stages of a pregnancy. —Alex Knapp, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024

In June, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld access to mifepristone, a key drug used with misoprostol for medication abortions. —Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 23 Oct. 2024

Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously preserved access to the drug, mifepristone, while finding that a group of antiabortion doctors and organizations did not have the legal right to challenge the 2000 federal approval of the drug. —Geoff Mulvihill, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2024

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court rejected efforts to restrict access to mifepristone, the generic version of Mifeprex. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from amino + fe- (alteration of phen-) + pri- (alteration of prop-) + estradiol + -one

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

mifepristone

noun

mi·​fep·​ris·​tone ˌmi-fə-ˈpris-ˌtōn  mi-ˈfep-ri-ˌstōn 

: a drug C₂₉H₃₅NO₂ taken orally to induce abortion especially early in pregnancy by blocking the body's use of progesterone

called also RU-486