To prematurely end or expel a process. To abort a mission is to end progress before its intended result. To abort a pregnancy is to end the gestation before it's natural end. The abortion of women's rights would plunge us back into the dark ages, the abortion of logic would allow superstition to reign over reason, the abortion of parental responsibility would result in a society of unruly children and later on, hopeless and useless adults (oh wait...that's already happening).

The word carries meaning above and beyond what goes on in a woman's body but people are only concerned with it when it comes to whether women can or cannot legally make their own reproductive decisions. Men of course can do whatever the hell they want.

Abortion is to end a pregnancy prematurely.
Pro-abortion is to want to end all pregnancies prematurely

Lets not play the 'you said so' game.

abortion is the ending of anything, as in abort the mission.

abortion as in the termination of a pregnancy. The expulsion of a zygote, embryo or premature fetus or the reabsorbtion of a zygote or embryo by the womans body.
breaks down in several catagories


1. spontaneous abortion the termination of a pregnancy bay causes other than medical intervention (misscarriage)(many of these occur in the first weeks and the woman may not even be aware that she was pregnant or they may happen at any time during the pregnancy.

2. Theraputic abortion, an abortion done to protect or save the life or health or mental heath of the woman who is pregnant. (most must come under state guidlines)

3. elective abortion, an abortion done at the request of the woman (most of which are done in the early first trimester also regulated by state guidelines)

4. traumatic abortion. when an injury to a pregnant woman (steering wheel, fall, gunshot) results in a spontaneous abortion.

No, you're wrong. It isn't at all.

If I were to define abortion in the sole sense of pregnancies, I would say: "The ending of a pregnancy by removing an embryo or foetus from its mother's body, resulting inevitably in its death".

But what's the point in the thread? We know what abortion means and we have the dictionary if we require such a definition.

Social definition Krypos. Not that we haven't enjoyed you and yoda playing dictionary but I've proven social definitions of words are equally valid in another thread. Try to keep this one on topic for a change m'kay?

we are defining what abortion means TO EACH INDIVIDUAL . is that too big a word for you?

Aside from the technical definitions already provided, abortion means hope! A key out of a trap. A parachute. A cure. A provision for life.

Exactly, Jinks and Birch have it. We all define these words ourselves. You can spout dictionary definitions or you can look at what these words MEAN to people. Sometimes the definition and the meaning are very different.

To abort is to simply put an end to something - it doesn't always refer to pregnancy.

An abortion refers to removing a zygote/embryo/fetus from a woman's body for any number of reasons. An abortion can also be equated with second chances, 'dodging a bullet', and proving that biology does not equal destiny.

Sorry to clarify- i meant abortion in regards to pregnancy

Calm down, you don't have to be so aggressive, for Christ's sake. What abortion means is defined in the dictionary; its consequences are a different matter altogether, and if this is what is meant by this thread, then all posts containing dictionary-esque explanations are pointless.



Eiri, the meaning and the definition are the same. We don't define them ourselves, otherwise the dictionary wouldn't exist. If we are talking about social implications of abortion, then I would agree with Birch, most likely. Abortion can spell freedom, relief, a way out, but equally upset, loneliness, and a wound to the heart. It varies so much it's irrational to generalise.

From the feed back the clinic recieves it defines relief, closure, a new chance, and hope a hundred to one against upset, loneliness and "a wound to the heart".


There is sadness that something went wrong with the zef or the pregnancy, there is sadness that a pregnancy resulted before it was wanted. There is almost always relief.

Sometimes there is anger. anger at the circumstances, the timing, anger at the pregnancy itself and anger at the god or gods. Anger at people (strangers) invading a personal family situation at the gate. Anger that a much wanted pregnancy resulted in medical complications.

When my landlady helped me abort I saw her as a saint or as a light in a world that was red hot with my anger and my pain. I was angry that I had been hjurt, that I had been humiliated, that I had been brought to the place where I knew he was going to kill me and I just wanted him to get it over with. Angry that I was made to realise that my being was no more than something to be used in the most depisable ways worth no more to my atacker than a piece of toilet paper.

My abortion ended a good deal of the hopelessnes and helplessness I was swamped in. It gave me back not only my life it gave me back the ability to pull myself together to get my existing children out of the situation we were in and get them back to the US and safety.

A big part of my job at the clinic is with the patients and their families
listening to them talk. I know their stories and how much they agonised over their decision.

While no one celebrates having an abortion, most of us are relieved and grateful that we were able to have one when we judged it to be what was best for our personal and unique situations.

Every time I look at my grown daughters and grand children I know for a hard practical fact that they would not be here if my landlady had not helped me.

My abortion ment that I and my existing two children lived. It ment that I lived to go on and give birth to my youngest daughter. It ment that my children lived to become adults and to give me my six grand children.

This question fascinates me. Why on earth would you ask people to fantasize how they would write a dictionary definition, when online dictionaries are so common, easy to use, and free?

Why ask amateurs to try to second guess professionals?

Kinda like how "pro-gun" is to want everyone to own a gun?

Or how "pro-death penalty" is to want all prisoners to be executed?

Or how "pro-immigrant" is to want everyone to be an immigrant?

Okay..... yeah..... I get it now!

That's a fascinating term..... where did you get it?

I checked with the "One Look" site, and it said "Sorry, no dictionaries indexed in the selected category contain the phrase social definition. "

So, what's the source of that term/phrase?

What's the "disease"?

All murders of born people "prove" that.

Yeah, I get the feeling from reading this thread that there are some here who are radically "anti-dictionary" in the same way that anarchists are "anti-government". They may even feel the same way about encyclopedias.

Sure, we can expound all day on our "personal understanding" of any term, phrase, or word..... and even discuss how the majority here feels about them.

But that is totally insignificant to the importance of using language in such a way as to be in communication with society at large. IOW, if we wish to make this forum readable and understandable to anyone in this country, or anyone in the whole world who speaks English, the only way to do that is to use our terms the way the majority of our society understands them.... not in our own "special way". In other words, speak English... not a private dialect.

Society.

No, they are usually very closely associated. That's why I asked what was the disease that the "cure" was for.