The American abortion debate

Abstract This paper examines metaphor in the American abortion debate. It takes a systematic and fine-grained approach to analysing war conceptualisations in abortion-related speeches and statements from the Republican and Democrat parties between 2009 and 2023. Analysis focuses on the conceptual framing abortion debate is war , and how various linguistic features constitute this world. This approach demonstrates how conceptual metaphors can be used to shape social attitude and justify political action — in the case of abortion, demonstrating how war conceptualisation has enacted a culture conducive to polarisation and partisanship.