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abstention

[ ab-sten-shuhn ]
/ ĂŠbˈstɛn ʃən /
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See synonyms for: abstention / abstentious on Thesaurus.com

noun
an act or instance of abstaining.
withholding of a vote.
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Origin of abstention

1515–25; <Late Latin abstentiƍn- (stem of abstentiƍ), equivalent to Latin abstent(us), past participle of abstinēre to abstain + -iƍn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM abstention

ab·sten·tious, adjectivenon·ab·sten·tion, nounun·ab·sten·tious, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH abstention

abstention , abstinence
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use abstention in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for abstention

abstention
/ (əbˈstɛnʃən) /

noun
a voluntary decision not to act; the act of refraining or abstaining
the act of withholding one's vote

Derived forms of abstention

abstentious, adjective

Word Origin for abstention

C16: from Late Latin abstentiƍn-, from Latin abstinēre. See abstain
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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