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
Examples of abortive in a Sentence
an abortive attempt to recover the sunken pirate ship
Recent Examples on the Web
Rumors of a leadership challenge last swirled in September, when Andy Burnham – a former MP and the current mayor of Greater Manchester – launched an audacious and abortive attempt at challenging Starmer’s approach on the eve of Labour’s annual conference.
—
Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
Even as Nintendo has endlessly mined its classic consoles for nostalgic re-releases in recent decades, the company has seemed to completely ignore the existence of the Virtual Boy—its abortive 1990s dip into the world of early virtual reality.
—ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Our main girl, Diva, is a diva down, forced into abortive encounters with the A.I. that stands, literally, between the goods and services supportive of her everyday life.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2025
Garbowit recalls that there were only around sixteen members of Congress lined up behind Thanedor’s abortive resolution—so the fact that Green’s follow-up motion garnered seventy-nine supporters in the caucus is a sign of progress.
—Chris Lehmann, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abortive
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Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2025
Even as Nintendo has endlessly mined its classic consoles for nostalgic re-releases in recent decades, the company has seemed to completely ignore the existence of the Virtual Boy—its abortive 1990s dip into the world of early virtual reality.
—ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025
Our main girl, Diva, is a diva down, forced into abortive encounters with the A.I. that stands, literally, between the goods and services supportive of her everyday life.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2025
Garbowit recalls that there were only around sixteen members of Congress lined up behind Thanedor’s abortive resolution—so the fact that Green’s follow-up motion garnered seventy-nine supporters in the caucus is a sign of progress.
—Chris Lehmann, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for abortive
Cite this Entry
“Abortive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abortive. Accessed 26 Nov. 2025.
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
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