partial-birth abortion

noun

: dilation and extraction
… upholding a ban on so-called partial-birth abortion, a nonmedical term devised by the powerful antichoice lobby to attack a particular late-term abortion procedure.Edd Doerr

Examples of partial-birth abortion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Not a single Democratic candidate has expressed reservations about abortions, and a number of them have fought proposed restrictions on partial-birth abortions. Victor Davis Hanson, The Mercury News, 5 July 2019 More than policy shapes senators’ confirmation votes Collins was one of only three Republican senators who voted against the ban on partial-birth abortions, a 2003 law that prohibited certain late-term abortions. Michele L. Swers, Washington Post, 6 July 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'partial-birth abortion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1995, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of partial-birth abortion was in 1995

Dictionary Entries Near partial-birth abortion

Cite this Entry

“Partial-birth abortion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/partial-birth%20abortion. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Medical Definition

partial-birth abortion

noun
par·​tial-birth abortion ˈpär-shəl- How to pronounce partial-birth abortion (audio)
: dilation and extraction
Antiabortion-rights activists created an attention-getting, less clinical name for D&X—"partial-birth abortion" …Mary Leonard, The Boston Globe
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