temperance
Americannoun
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moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, etc.; self-control.
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habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion, especially in the use of alcoholic liquors.
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total abstinence from alcoholic liquors.
noun
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restraint or moderation, esp in yielding to one's appetites or desires
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abstinence from alcoholic drink
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of temperance
1200–50; Middle English temperaunce < Anglo-French < Latin temperantia self-control. See temper, -ance
Explanation
Temperance means restraint and moderation, but if you're talking about alcohol, temperance means not just drinking in moderation, it means not having it at all. The temperance movement appeared in the U.S. in the 19th century, at first urging moderation in drinking but eventually seeking to outlaw alcohol entirely. It managed to get Prohibition enacted in 1919, which did outlaw alcohol, but it was repealed in 1933. Temperance doesn't just have to do with alcohol, it can refer to avoiding any kind of excess: if your new diet requires temperance, you're eating in a balanced, sensible way. Temperance comes from the Latin temperare, "restrain."
Vocabulary lists containing temperance
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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Born a Crime
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Had there been a simple spelling mistake, the last executed witches in England would in fact be the Bideford Three - Temperance Lloyd, Susannah Edwards and Mary Trembles - in 1682.
From BBC • Oct. 31, 2024
The woman, Tracy Douglas, 59, of Temperance, Michigan, filed a civil rights complaint with the FBI, according to her attorney.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 6, 2022
Denise Heinze is the author of the historical novel “The Brief and True Report of Temperance Flowerdew.”
From Washington Post • Jun. 3, 2022
Temperance Flat, in particular, appears to offer the lowest bang for the buck of any water storage proposal in the state.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2021
His name was Temperance Noah, which was odd since he was not a man of moderation at all.
From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
