abstain
Americanverb (used without object)
-
abstains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
abstained,
past participle, past
-
abstaining
present participle
verb
-
to choose to refrain
he abstained from alcohol
-
to refrain from voting, esp in a committee, legislature, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
abstainsimple
-
abstainssimple
-
have abstainedperfect
-
has abstainedperfect
-
am abstainingprogressive
-
are abstainingprogressive
-
is abstainingprogressive
-
have been abstainingperfect progressive
-
has been abstainingperfect progressive
Past
-
abstainedsimple
-
had abstainedperfect
-
was abstainingprogressive
-
were abstainingprogressive
-
had been abstainingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing abstain
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 Top "SAT" Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
"We must intensify efforts to help people quit tobacco use, avoid cancer-linked infections, abstain from alcohol, maintain a healthy weight, and get more daily exercise."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026
Mayra Goulart, political science professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, told AFP the main challenge for Lula and Flavio will be to reach "disengaged voters" who are highly likely to abstain.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
Mitchell said intraparty matchups in the past have shown 35% of orphaned voters or more simply abstain from voting in that race.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
The diet is the brainchild of Dr. Sean O’Mara, who advises his high-profile patients to eat fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi, alongside grass-fed steak—and to abstain from alcohol and sugary food.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
But I have jus enough sense left to abstain.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
He, too, said he abstains from getting involved due to the damage illegal mining does to the land, especially as a result of the chemicals used for extracting gold.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Even if Warsh abstains again, the other 18 senior Fed members are all expected to submit their own dots.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Recently persuaded by her teen daughter, Mae, to join social media, Hahn abstains from reading the comments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2024
Abby now abstains from video sites and TV, Maggie uses library computers for online access, and Sophia's sponsor keeps her in check when she needs to use the internet.
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2024
I wonder why Therese abstains from food, though she is not bound by the nun’s vows.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
The U.K. and European countries abstained from voting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026
In Caracas, some opposition lawmakers abstained from the show-of-hands vote to approve the US deal, arguing that they should be able to view the written terms before making a decision.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
“I abstained because I did not see sufficient evidence to justify extending this emergency ordinance, nor did I see evidence to eliminate it entirely,” Hahn said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
Nekhaila, who would have been the tiebreaking vote, abstained.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
She could have made an inquiry or two, as to the expedition and the expense of the Irish mails;—it was at her tongue’s end—but she abstained.
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
It could formally join his governing coalition, a rare but not unprecedented arrangement, or offer outside support by abstaining from key votes, allowing his bloc to command a parliamentary majority without formally joining the government.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
The board voted 4-0 to place binding arbitration on the Nov. 3 ballot, with Mitchell abstaining.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
After five years of abstaining, a giant chip maker has returned to the bond market.
From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 2026
In 2020, Milan Township passed an ordinance that would allow the project to go forward, with Heath’s brother, the township supervisor, abstaining.
From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2026
I remember reading about Pythagoras around this time, and finding some of his ideas curiously appealing—wearing white garments, for instance, or abstaining from foods which have a soul.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
