Abortionist

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˈbɔɹ.ʃə.nɪst/

Definitions

1. A professional who performs the termination of pregnancy
2. An individual specializing in the medical procedure that ends a pregnancy
3. A qualified practitioner who conducts abortions to end pregnancies

Etymology: Abortionist is a plain formation: the noun "abortion" with the agent suffix "-ist" added, meaning a person who carries out abortions. The suffix has a long pedigree. It passed from Ancient Greek "-istēs," through Latin "-ista" and Old French "-iste," into Middle English as "-ist," which by then was used to name people who practice a trade or follow a particular activity. English "abortion" itself comes from Latin "abortio," so the new word was built on a stem that had been in the language for centuries. The suffix appears in many older English nouns, such as "dentist," "chemist" and "novelist," which all follow the same pattern: a root plus "-ist" names someone who does or works with that thing. "Abortionist" therefore simply joins that family, and its meaning comes directly from the two parts without any change in sense along the way.