What is "therapeutic abortion"

Abortion \A*bor"tion\ ([.a]*b[^o]r"sh[u^]n), n. [L. abortio, fr. aboriri. See Abort.]

1. The act of giving premature birth; particularly, the expulsion of the human fetus prematurely, or before it is capable of sustaining life; miscarriage.

2. The immature product of an untimely birth; a fetus which has been delivered prematurely due to spontaneous or voluntary abortion, and is dead.

3. (Biol.) Arrest of development of any organ, so that it remains an imperfect formation or is absorbed.

4. Any fruit or produce that does not come to maturity, or anything which in its progress, before it is matured or perfect; a complete failure; as, his attempt proved an abortion.

5. the removal of a fetus from the womb prior to normal delivery in a manner such as to cause the death of the fetus; also called voluntary abortion, or when performed by a physician, therapeutic abortion.

   Note: In the 1913 Webster there was the following note appended to sense 1: [hand] It is sometimes used for the offense of procuring a premature delivery, but strictly the early delivery is the abortion, ``causing or procuring abortion'' is the full name of the offense.
   --Abbott.

6. something considered to be a repulsive or monstrous variant of a normal object; a monstrosity.

n. (context medical English) An abortion indicated by need for the health of the mother or due to the inviable nature of the fetus.

n. a legally induced abortion for medical reasons (as when the mother's life is threatened)

Therapeutic abortion is abortion induced following a medical diagnosis. Normally it is prescribed to save the life of the mother. In many countries therapeutical abortion is legal and induced abortion is not.