abortive

adjective abor·tive \ ə-ˈbȯr-tiv \

Definition of abortive

1 obsolete :prematurely born

2 :fruitless, unsuccessful

3 :imperfectly formed or developed

4 :tending to cut short

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abortively

adverb

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abortiveness

noun

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Examples of abortive in a Sentence

an abortive attempt to recover the sunken pirate ship

Recent Examples of abortive from the Web

Supporters of the abortive rally would get spotted and a crowd would gather, chanting at them.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "What I Saw in Boston on Saturday," 21 Aug. 2017
Nobody's fault but mine: After an abortive attempt last session, the Florida Legislature will once again try to repeal Florida's requirement that drivers have personal injury protection in their auto insurance.

— dan sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "VP compares Trump to Teddy; GOP Sens say he lacks competence, stability," 18 Aug. 2017
It's somehow never been translated into English, whereas La Position du Tireur Couché (1981) became The Prone Gunman, source of Pierre Morel's abortive 2015 Sean Penn action-vehicle The Gunman.

— neil young, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Let the Corpses Tan' ('Laissez bronzer les cadavres'): Film Review | Locarno 2017," 5 Aug. 2017
The film’s most telling scene is one of the abortive dates Menashe goes on with a woman in a similar situation to him—widowed, with children, looking to make a new home.

— david sims, The Atlantic, "Menashe Is a Moving Drama of Hasidic Life," 2 Aug. 2017
Macron’s initiative comes after abortive attempts by Italy, the former colonizing power, to forge a peace. ‘

— tarek el-tablawy, Bloomberg.com, "Macron’s ‘Photo Op’ Unlikely to Cement Elusive Libya Peace," 26 July 2017
That tussle, and the memory of USC’s abortive bid for an alliance with The Scripps Research Institute, may remain sensitive topics with a San Diego County academic sector that prides its independence.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "USC's expanding scientific ambitions include San Diego," 8 July 2017
Beijing on Wednesday complained about the US lawmakers' meeting with the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

— douglas busvine, The Christian Science Monitor, "Why Pelosi and other Democratic lawmakers met with the Dalai Lama in India," 10 May 2017
The Dalai Lama has been based in India since fleeing Tibet during an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

— the associated press, New York Times, "Dalai Lama’s Visit to Mongolia Could Fray Its Ties to China," 19 Nov. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abortive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of abortive

Middle English abortyffe, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French abbortif, borrowed from Latin abortīvus, from abortus, past participle of aborīrī "to miscarry, ¹abort" + -īvus -ive

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First Known Use: 15th century

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