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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-
: 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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