temperance

American  

[tem-per-uhns, tem-pruhns] / ˈtɛm pər əns, ˈtɛm prəns /

noun

1. moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, etc.; self-control.

2. habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion, especially in the use of alcoholic liquors.

3. total abstinence from alcoholic liquors.

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temperance British  

/ ˈtɛmpərəns /

noun

1. restraint or moderation, esp in yielding to one's appetites or desires

2. abstinence from alcoholic drink

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Other Word Forms

• antitemperance adjective

Etymology

Origin of temperance

1200–50; Middle English temperaunce < Anglo-French < Latin temperantia self-control. See temper, -ance

Example Sentences

Anna Marshall, author of The Little Book of Christmas and Hogmanay, links it to a reaction against the temperance movement in the early 1800s.

From BBC

Beloved in colonial America, hard cider lost favor in the mid-19th century as crisp lagers ascended; the temperance movement and Prohibition felled cider-apple trees.

From The Wall Street Journal

A Jewish homeland in backwaters of the Ottoman empire seemed unattainable, and pressing domestic concerns like slavery and temperance took precedence.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Patten, as implied, is sober to the point of temperance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some temperance is overdue in the AI space.

From The Wall Street Journal