abstain

American  

[ab-steyn] / æbˈsteɪn /

verb (used without object)

1. to hold oneself back voluntarily, especially from something regarded as improper or unhealthy (usually followed byfrom ).

   to abstain from eating meat.

   Synonyms:

   cease, desist, forbear

   Antonyms:

   indulge

2. to refrain from casting one's vote.

   a referendum in which two delegates abstained.

---

abstain British  

/ əbˈsteɪn /

verb

1. to choose to refrain

   he abstained from alcohol

2. to refrain from voting, esp in a committee, legislature, etc

---

Other Word Forms

• abstainer
  noun
• nonabstaining
  adjective
• overabstain
  verb (used without object)

Etymology

Origin of abstain

1350–1400; Middle English abste ( i ) nen < Middle French abstenir ≪ Latin abstinēre, equivalent to abs- abs- + -tinēre, combining form of tenēre to hold, keep

Explanation

If you abstain from something, you restrain yourself from consuming it. People usually abstain from things that are considered vices — like eating French fries every day for lunch. Roots of the word abstain are from the 14th-century French, "to withhold oneself," and the word often refers to people who hold themselves back from indulging in habits that are bad for them, physically or morally. Abstain can also mean to withhold a vote, and sometimes a difficult decision is stalled when government representatives abstain from voting one way or another.

Example Sentences

It was to protect worshippers that Israel had asked people of all faiths to "temporarily abstain" from worshipping at all the holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City, he added.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

“Arbitrators aren’t elected, they’re not required to weigh countywide trade-offs like homeless services, healthcare, capital improvements, all of those things,” said Supervisor Holly Mitchell, the only supervisor to abstain from the vote.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2026

The basics of a no-spend—or low-spend, depending on your personal definition—challenge are just that: for a predetermined period of time, you abstain from nonessential purchases.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2026

The National Farmers Union, which opposes the changes, had urged Labour MPs to abstain to put pressure on ministers to water down the plans.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

Better to abstain from the gardens of delectable delights than to be stuck planting them, dawn to dusk.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• cease
• forgo
• pass up
• quit
• refrain
• renounce
• shun
• withhold