abortive

adjective

abor·​tive ə-ˈbȯr-tiv 

1

obsolete : prematurely born

2

: fruitless, unsuccessful

3

: imperfectly formed or developed

4

: tending to cut short

abortively adverb

abortiveness noun

Synonyms

• barren
• bootless
• empty
• fruitless
• futile
• ineffective
• ineffectual
• inefficacious
• otiose
• profitless
• unavailing
• unproductive
• unprofitable
• unsuccessful
• useless
• vain

Examples of abortive in a Sentence

an abortive attempt to recover the sunken pirate ship

Recent Examples on the Web

Michelle Smith, a top adviser to the attorney general, took to social media on Sunday and attributed Hancock’s votes to resentments dating to Paxton’s abortive 2011 candidacy for House speaker, when both were state representatives. —Robert T. Garrett, Dallas News, 19 Sep. 2023

But there is surprise and confusion among Russian analysts over Mr. Prigozhin’s dramatic demise, exactly two months after his abortive uprising. —Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug. 2023

In that case, the Niger crisis might bear some passing resemblance to Prigozhin’s own abortive uprising last month. —Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 2 Aug. 2023

The abortive rebellion gave Ukrainian officials a fresh opportunity to mock the Russian command as well as Prigozhin. —Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2023

In June, Prigozhin led a march toward Moscow in an abortive insurrection purportedly against Russia’s top military leadership. —Miriam Berger, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2023

Biden administration officials predicted publicly in the weeks following Yevgeny Prigozhin's abortive mutiny that Russian President Vladimir Putin would some day, in some way, exact his revenge. —WSJ, 23 Aug. 2023

But the program has faced its own challenges: NASA plans on using a SpaceX Starship lander, though, as its abortive test flight in April shows, Starship clearly has a long way to go. —Ramin Skibba, WIRED, 23 Aug. 2023

But Moscow’s influence in Africa was underscored as video emerged showing Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the mercenary group Wagner who launched an abortive mutiny against the Kremlin’s military leadership in June, claiming to be in Africa and talking about making Russia greater on all continents. —Simone McCarthy, CNN, 21 Aug. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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

: abortifacient

b

: cutting short

abortive treatment of pneumonia

c

: failing to develop completely or typically

an abortive case of poliomyelitis