The Britannica Dictionary
mobile search
Home
Ask the Editor
Word of the Day
Quizzes
Core Vocabulary
Browse the Dictionary
×
Britannica Homepage
Ask the Editor
Word of the Day
Quizzes
Core Vocabulary
Browse the Dictionary
The Britannica Dictionary
abortive
1 ENTRIES FOUND:
abortive
(adjective)
abortive
/ə
ˈ
boɚtɪv/
adjective
abortive
/ə
ˈ
boɚtɪv/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of ABORTIVE
:
failing to achieve the desired result
:
not successful
He made several
abortive
[=
aborted
] attempts to escape.
an
abortive
coup
[+] more examples
[-] hide examples
[+] Example sentences
[-] Hide examples
ASK THE EDITOR
What are the plural forms of
check-in
,
passerby
, and
spoonful
?
See the answer »
QUIZZES
Vocabulary Quiz
Test your word power
Take the Quiz »
Name That Thing
Take our visual quiz
Test Your Knowledge »
WORD OF THE DAY
replenish
:
to fill or build up (something) again (
somewhat formal
)
Learn More »