adj
stillborn
STIHL-bawn
adj
1
Dead at the moment of birth.
"The couple grieved for the child who was stillborn."
2
Failed or abandoned before it could ever succeed.
"The peace plan was stillborn from the moment both sides rejected it."
How to Use Stillborn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLiterally, born dead; figuratively, a plan or project that never had a chance to get going.
When to use it
The literal medical sense is a sensitive topic — use with care.
Word Forms
stillborns plural
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Etymology
A compound of "still" (motionless) and "born", first recorded in English in the late 1500s.