What does "abort" mean?
An early termination of a mission, action, or procedure in relation to missiles or spacecraft; the craft making such a mission.
Abort
/əˈbɔːt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An early termination of a mission, action, or procedure in relation to missiles or spacecraft; the craft making such a mission.
- Grammar: abort is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abandon, aborting, abortion, ashcan.
- Useful contrasts: executed agreement, andira, aspadana.
- Usage evidence: I don't want to abort the mission now.
How to use "abort"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "abort" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "abort" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "abort" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "abort" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "abort" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abandon" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "abort", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An early termination of a mission, action, or procedure in relation to missiles or spacecraft; the craft making such a mission.
"We've had aborts on three of our last seven launches."
- 2 the act of terminating a project or procedure before it is completed wordnet
- 3 The function used to abort a process.
- 4 An event in which a process is aborted.
"We've had three aborts over the last two days."
- 5 The product of a miscarriage; an aborted offspring; an abortion. archaic
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A miscarriage; an untimely birth; an abortion. obsolete
"In Japonia 'tis a common thing to stifle their children if they be poor, or to make an abort, which Aristotle commends."
Verb
- 1 To miscarry; to bring forth (non-living) offspring prematurely. intransitive, regional
"Women have aborted, men have committed suicide, and both men and women have been thrown into convulsions during the fearful agony of renal colic."
- 2 terminate a pregnancy by undergoing an abortion wordnet
- 3 To cause a premature termination of (a fetus); to end a pregnancy before term. intransitive, transitive
""Of course, you can't abort yourself...I mean you positively can't be allowed to. To begin with it's a crime.""
- 4 cease development, die, and be aborted wordnet
- 5 To end prematurely; to stop in the preliminary stages; to turn back. transitive
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 terminate before completion wordnet
- 7 To stop or fail at something in the preliminary stages. intransitive
- 8 To become checked in normal development, so as either to remain rudimentary or shrink away wholly; to cease organic growth before maturation; to become sterile. intransitive
- 9 To cause an organism to develop minimally; to cause rudimentary development to happen; to prevent maturation. transitive
- 10 To abandon a mission at any point after the beginning of the mission and prior to its completion. intransitive
"First he aborts the take-off and now we have a runway incursion!"
- 11 To terminate a mission involving a missile or rocket; to destroy a missile or rocket prematurely. transitive
- 12 To terminate a process prior to completion. transitive
Example
"I don't want to abort the mission now."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "abort"?
Common synonyms include: abandon, aborting, abortion, ashcan, belay, belaying.
How do you use "abort" in a sentence?
I don't want to abort the mission now.
How do you pronounce "abort"?
Pronounced /əˈbɔːt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English, from Latin abortus, perfect active participle of aborior (“miscarry”), formed from ab + orior (“come into being”). Doublet of abortus.
Etymology 2
From Latin abortare, from abortus, from aboriri (“miscarry”), from ab- (“not”) + oriri (“come into being, arise, appear”).