French Conversation · Level 147
30 words
French word
avorter
Pronunciation
IPA/avɔʁte/
Meaning
- verbhave an abortion
Example
Elle a avorté hier chez le médecin.
She had an abortion at the doctor's yesterday.
More examples
Le projet a avorté au dernier moment.
The project failed at the last moment.
Core concept
A process breaks off before its expected result appears, naturally or through intervention.
Common phrases
avorter une grossesse
terminate a pregnancy
faire avorter
make ___ have an abortion
Similar words
se faire avorter: To intentionally end a pregnancy through medical care.
faire une fausse couche: To lose a pregnancy naturally before the baby is born.
Definition in French
Mettre fin à une grossesse en cours, volontairement ou par accident; s'emploie aussi pour dire qu'une tentative n'a pas abouti.
Word origin
The French verb avorter derives from Latin abortare, whose sense of failing to come to birth developed into broader senses of premature ending and failure.
Usage tips
- In medical contexts, avorter does not by itself specify intention, so context or wording such as volontairement distinguishes an induced abortion from a miscarriage.