- abortion
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abor·tion /ə-'bȯr-shən/ n1: the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus; esp: the medical procedure of inducing expulsion of a human fetus to terminate a pregnancy2: the crime of procuring or performing an illegal abortiona conspiracy to commit abortion — W. R. LaFave and A. W. Scott, Jr. see also roe v. wade and webster v. reproductive health services in the important cases section
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
- abortion
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I
(feticide) noun
aborticide, abortio, expulsion of a fetus, termination of a pregnancy
II
(fiasco) noun
blunder, clumsiness, dereliction, disablement, disaster, failure, folly, frustration, inability, incapacity, incompetence, incompetency, ineffectuality, inefficacy, ineptitude, inexpertness, insufficiency, nonfulfilment, quackery, unskillfulness, vain attempt, vain effort, want of success
III
index
miscarriage
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
- abortion
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n.The premature ending of a pregnancy; in legal context, generally refers to a deliberate termination, though the term can also apply to spontaneous natural expulsion of a fetus before it becomes viable.v.abort
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
- abortion
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termination of a pregnancy before it is complete, with the purpose of destroying the foetus.In English criminal law, procuring an abortion was a felony and indeed it is still subject to the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967 (as amended by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990). In the criminal law of Scotland it is the crime of procuring an early termination of a pregnancy and disposal of the foetus with felonious intent. Either or both the woman and the abortionist may be charged. Under the 1967 Act, which applies in both jurisdictions, no offence is committed where the pregnancy is terminated by a registered medical practitioner if two medical practitioners are of the bona fide opinion (bona fides) that allowing the pregnancy to continue would involve risk to the woman's life or result in injury to the physical or mental health of the woman or her family. If the foetus were to be born seriously handicapped, this too is a ground. A husband cannot prevent a wife having an abortion: Paton v . Trustees of British Pregnancy Advisory Service [1978] 2 All ER 987. Kelly v . Kelly [1997] SCT 816. Practitioners have a 'conscience clause' in the Act, which means that they do not have to be involved in performing abortions.In the USA there was a famous decision allowing abortion, Roe v. Wade, 410 US 113 (1973), and despite subsequent retrenchment at a practical level in Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989) 492 US 490, the constitutional right remains: Planned Parenthood of South-eastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, 505 US 833 (1992).
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
- abortion
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The termination of a pregnancy by the removal, by surgical or other means, of an embryo or fetus from a woman's uterus. Until 1973 abortion was considered a crime unless performed by physicians to protect the life of the mother. The Supreme Court ruled in the case of Roe v. Wade (1973) that a woman had the right to choose abortion to end a pregnancy through the first trimester. In the latter stages of pregnancy, danger to the life of the mother could still justify a legal abortion.Category: Divorce & Family Law
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
- abortion
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n.1 The premature termination of a pregnancy.2 The intentional and artificial termination of a pregnancy that destroys an embryo or fetus.3 The spontaneous expulsion of an embryo or fetus before it is capable of living outside the womb.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
- abortion
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The spontaneous or artificially induced expulsion of an embryo or fetus. As used in legal context, the term usually refers to induced abortion.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
- abortion
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The spontaneous or artificially induced expulsion of an embryo or fetus. As used in legal context, the term usually refers to induced abortion.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- abortion
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n.the termination of pregnancy by various means, including medical surgery, before the fetus is able to sustain independent life. Until 1973 abortion was considered a crime (by the mother and the doctor) unless performed by physicians to protect the life of the mother, a phrase often broadly interpreted. Untrained persons performed thousands of abortions each year in the U.S. using hasty, unsanitary and dangerous means, resulting in maiming, permanent damage of organs, and death of many women. The Supreme Court ruled in the case of Roe v. Wade (1973) that a woman had the right to choose abortion to end a pregnancy through the first trimester (three months) of gestation. In the latter stages of pregnancy, danger to the life of the mother could still justify a legal abortion. Political struggles followed over legalized abortions. Some state legislatures passed limitations such as requiring teenage girls to obtain their parents' consent in order to get an abortion. Despite appointment of anti-abortion justices by Presidents Reagan and Bush, the Supreme Court has not over-turned the basic Wade case rule. President Bill Clinton's appointments are expected to make legalized abortion continue in the future.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
