abortifacient

noun

abor·​ti·​fa·​cient ə-ˌbȯr-tə-ˈfā-shənt How to pronounce abortifacient (audio)
: an agent (such as a drug) that induces abortion
abortifacient adjective

Examples of abortifacient in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
And what are these contraceptives that are considered abortifacients to certain lawmakers? —Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 22 Oct. 2024 Some went to root doctors who prescribed herbal abortifacients, an unreliable solution since the elixirs could be toxic to women, frequently fatally so. —Kali Nicole Gross / Made By History, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024 Packer told the Idaho Capital Sun last year that the group wants to clarify that contraceptives and abortifacients are not the same. —Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 7 June 2024 Hidden in a suitcase are boxes of mifepristone and misoprostol, two abortifacients used in conjunction with one another. —Carmen Valeria Escobar, WIRED, 3 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for abortifacient 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin abortifacient-, abortifaciens, from Latin abortus "miscarriage, abortion" (from aborīrī "to pass away, (of a fetus) miscarry, be aborted" + -tus, suffix of verbal action) + -i- -i- + -facient-, -faciens -facient — more at abort entry 1

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of abortifacient was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near abortifacient

aborted

abortifacient

abortin

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Abortifacient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abortifacient. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

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Medical Definition

abortifacient

1 of 2 adjective
abor·​ti·​fa·​cient ə-ˌbȯrt-ə-ˈfā-shənt How to pronounce abortifacient (audio)
: inducing abortion

abortifacient

2 of 2 noun
: an agent (as a drug) that induces abortion
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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