abstinence

American  

[ab-stuh-nuhns] / ˈæb stə nəns /

Also abstinency

noun

1. forbearance, especially habitual forbearance as a lifestyle choice, from any indulgence of a particular appetite, such as from sex or from the use of alcoholic beverages.

   The program promotes sexual abstinence for teens, but also provides information on contraception in case they become sexually active.

   Synonyms:

   teetotalism, sobriety, abstemiousness

2. any self-restraint, self-denial, or forbearance.

3. the act of abstaining for any length of time from a substance or activity to which one has become addicted, but without actually dealing with the root causes of dependency.

   Abstinence addresses the symptoms of addiction, while sobriety has deeper mental and emotional dimensions.

4. the act of abstaining from a particular substance or activity as a spiritual discipline, as during Lent or some other period of religious fasting or self-denial.

   At one time Lenten abstinence from meat was stricter than it is today.

5. Economics. the conserving of current income in order to build up capital or savings.

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abstinence British  

/ ˈæbstɪnəns /

noun

1. the act or practice of refraining from some action or from the use of something, esp alcohol

2. RC Church the practice of refraining from specific kinds of food or drink, esp from meat, as an act of penance

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Other Word Forms

• abstinent
  adjective
• proabstinence
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of abstinence

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English word from Latin word abstinentia. See abstain, -ence

Explanation

If you are a chocolate lover, you'll have to show great restraint when the dessert cart rolls over if you are practicing abstinence, another word for "refraining." It might take a lot of willpower not to throw yourself at the cart. Abstinence is the opposite of indulgence. People who practice abstinence deny themselves something, often something they really want. Regardless of whether people are abstaining from food, alcohol, or sex, they have to practice self-control. In fact, the word is derived from the Latin term for "to hold back." The word abstinence is often used in reference to sex education courses that teach kids to hold themselves back from having sex.

Example Sentences

In the U.S., clinicians have historically used a method called the Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring Tool, which was developed in the 1970s, to assess certain withdrawal symptoms in infants, Buck said.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 28, 2023

Abstinence is one of the tools of harm reduction, like decriminalization is a tool of harm reduction.

From Salon • Nov. 26, 2022

Abstinence became a popular message in some parts of the U.S.

From Time • Dec. 1, 2016

Abstinence education is not a simple variable that works on everybody in the same way, like some vaccines or drugs, Parkhurst explains.

From The Guardian • May 27, 2016

O foolishness of men! that lend their ears To those budge doctors of the stoic fur, And fetch their precepts from the Cynic tub, Praising the lean and sallow Abstinence!

From Minor Poems by Milton by Milton, John

Related Words

• chastity
• fasting
• frugality
• moderation
• self-restraint