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Abortive vs Failure - What's the difference?

abortive | failure |

As nouns the difference between abortive and failure

is that abortive is (obsolete) that which is born or brought forth prematurely; an abortion while failure is state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success.

As an adjective abortive

is (obsolete) produced by abortion; born prematurely .

As a verb abortive

is (obsolete) to cause an abortion; to render without fruit .

abortive

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • (obsolete) Produced by abortion; born prematurely.
    • an abortive child
  • Coming to naught; failing in its effect; miscarrying; fruitless; unsuccessful.
    • an abortive attempt
  • * 1799 edition, , Paradise Lost :
    • and with utter loss of being
    Threatens him, plung'd in that abortive gulf.
  • * (rfdate),
    • An abortive enterprise.
  • (biology) Imperfectly formed or developed; rudimentary; sterile.
    • an abortive organ
    an abortive stamen
    an abortive ovule
  • (medicine, rare, attributive) Causing abortion; abortifacient
    • abortive medicines
  • * (Parr)
  • (medicine) Cutting short; acting to halt or slow the progress (of a disease).
    • abortive treatment of typhoid fever
  • Made from the skin of a still-born animal.
    • abortive vellum

    Derived terms

    * abortiveness

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) That which is born or brought forth prematurely; an abortion.
  • * "Thou elvish-mark'd, abortive , rooting hog!" - Shakespeare, Richard III, I-iii
  • (obsolete) A fruitless effort or issue.
  • (obsolete) A medicine to which is attributed the property of causing abortion, abortifacient.

    • Verb

    (abortiv)
  • (obsolete) To cause an abortion; to render without fruit.

    • References

    * ----

    failure

    English

    (wikipedia failure)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • State or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=May 5, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC Sport
    • , title= Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool , passage=For Liverpool, their season will now be regarded as a relative disappointment after failure to add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup and not mounting a challenge to reach the Champions League places.}}
  • * {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 23, author=Angelique Chrisafis, work=the Guardian
    • , title= François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election , passage=Sarkozy's total will be seen as a personal failure . It is the first time an outgoing president has failed to win a first-round vote in the past 50 years and makes it harder for Sarkozy to regain momentum.}}
  • An object, person or endeavour in a state of failure or incapable of success.
  • Termination of the ability of an item to perform its required function, breakdown.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-28, author=(Joris Luyendijk)
    • , volume=189, issue=3, page=21, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Our banks are out of control , passage=Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […].  Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.}}

    Related terms

    * fail

    Synonyms

    * (person incapable of success) loser

    Antonyms

    * (state or condition) success, triumph