abstemious
Americanadjective
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sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet.
-
characterized by abstinence.
an abstemious life.
-
sparing.
an abstemious diet.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of abstemious
1615–25; < Latin abstēmius, equivalent to abs- abs- + tēm- (base of tēmētum intoxicating drink) + -ius -ious
Explanation
Reserve abstemious for someone who exercises restraint, especially with regard to alcohol. A rock musician may sing about enjoying wine and women, but in his private life he may be abstemious. You might get the idea that abstemious is a relative of abstain with a change of consonant, but in fact the two words only share the abs- prefix, meaning "away." The -temious bit in this adjective is from Latin temetum, "intoxicating drink," so it came to refer to someone who keeps alcohol (or other temptations) at arm's length. This word has the vowels a, e, i, o and u in alphabetical order; the adverb abstemiously adds the y!
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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.
By 2014, she says, “the abstemious, incorruptible leader had become a louche, boorish one.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
During his visit at Cluain Mhic Nóis, Artt makes few complaints about the abbot’s lax management, but everything about his abstemious manner suggests how disappointed he is.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 16, 2022
Though the heroes rock vivid, metallic ensembles, villainous Gorr the God Butcher is more abstemious: He wears only a white robe, and all color vanishes from the shadowy realm where he dwells.
From New York Times ● Jul. 13, 2022
Look closely enough—and believe me, I did—and you’ll notice the results of that abstemious discipline on the 57-year-old Cook’s 6-foot-3 frame.
From Slate ● Jan. 30, 2018
The advice to omit needless words should not be confused with the puritanical edict that all writers must pare every sentence down to the shortest, leanest, most abstemious version possible.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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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.
