- failing to achieve a purpose; fruitless
- (of organisms) imperfectly developed; rudimentary
- causing abortion; abortifacient
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
a•bor•tive /əˈbɔrtɪv/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- failing to succeed;
unsuccessful: an abortive rebellion.
a•bor•tive
(ə bôr′tiv),USA pronunciation adj.
a•bor′tive•ly, adv.
a•bor′tive•ness, n.
- failing to succeed;
unsuccessful:an abortive rebellion; an abortive scheme. - born prematurely.
- imperfectly developed;
rudimentary. - Medicine
- producing or intended to produce abortion;
abortifacient. - acting to halt progress of a disease.
- producing or intended to produce abortion;
- Pathology(of the course of a disease) short and mild without the usual, pronounced clinical symptoms.
- Botany(of seeds or pollen grains) imperfect;
unable to germinate.
- Latin abortīvus. See abort, -ive
- Middle English 1300–50
a•bor′tive•ness, n.
- 1. fruitless, ineffectual, bootless, unavailing, vain.
- 1. successful.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
abortive /əˈbɔːtɪv/ adj
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'abortive' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
