abortion
UK: əˈbɔːʃn | US: əˈbɔːrʃn
n. the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy
n. the expulsion of a fetus from the uterus before it is viable
n. (figurative) a failure or abandonment of a project, plan, or process
The word "abortion" derives from Latin abortio ("miscarriage"), formed from ab- ("away") + oriri ("to rise, be born"). The root oriri also gives us "origin" and "orient." The term originally referred to natural miscarriages but later expanded to include induced terminations. The morpheme ab- implies separation or deviation, while -tion nominalizes the action, creating a term for the act of preventing birth.
The debate over abortion rights remains highly controversial.
The project was an abortion, abandoned after months of poor progress.
In some countries, abortion is illegal except in extreme circumstances.
She wrote a research paper on the ethics of abortion.
The law guarantees access to safe abortion services.