abortive

(ə-bôr'tĭv)
adj.

1. Failing to accomplish an intended objective; fruitless: an abortive attempt to conclude the negotiations.
2. Biology. Partially or imperfectly developed: an abortive organ.
3. Causing or meant to cause abortion; abortifacient.

abortively a·bor'tive·ly adv.
abortiveness a·bor'tive·ness n.

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The central meaning of abortive since the time of Shakespeare has been 'coming to nought, fruitless, useless, unsuccessful'. It can be applied to attempts, efforts, missions, coups, and rebellions, negotations, proposals, etc., and to any action that proves to be unsuccessful, even the most trivial

(An abortive attempt to do the Times crossword—A. N. Wilson, 1982).

Aborted is not, despite the protestations of the American writer William Safire, a better alternative, since it denotes actual failure whereas abortive can be used of failure that is merely imminent or potential.

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adj

Definition: failing to achieve a goal
Antonyms: complete, consummated, effectual, efficient, fruitful, productive, successful

Imperfectly developed; especially, failing to produce seeds.

IN BRIEF: Failing to achieve the desired result. Imperfectly developed.

The news reported from the abortive rocket launch.

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1. incompletely developed.
2. abortifacient.

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - abortiv, abortfremkaldende

Nederlands (Dutch)
vruchteloos, abortus tot gevolg hebbende, onvolgroeid (orgaan)

Français (French)
adj. - avorté, manqué, (Méd) abortif

Deutsch (German)
adj. - zu früh geboren, vorzeitig, fruchtlos

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - άκαρπος, αποτυχημένος, εκτρωματικός, εξαμβλωματικός

Italiano (Italian)
abortivo, infruttuoso, fallito, vano

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - abortivo

Русский (Russian)
преждевременный, бесплодный, неудавшийся

Español (Spanish)
adj. - abortivo, fracasado, frustrado

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - förkrympt, ofullgången

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
流产的, 失败的, 早产的, 夭折的, 堕胎的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 流產的, 失敗的, 早產的, 夭折的, 墮胎的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 유산의, 유산을 촉진하는, 되다만, 실패의

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 不成功の, 流産させるような

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) فاشل‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮שעלה בתוהו, כושל‬

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