temperance
[ tem-per-uhns, tem-pruhns ]
/ ˈtɛm pər əns, ˈtɛm prəns /
noun
moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, etc.; self-control.
habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion, especially in the use of alcoholic liquors.
total abstinence from alcoholic liquors.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of temperance
OTHER WORDS FROM temperance
an·ti·tem·per·ance, adjectiveWords nearby temperance
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for temperance
British Dictionary definitions for temperance
temperance
/ (ˈtɛmpərəns) /
noun
restraint or moderation, esp in yielding to one's appetites or desires
abstinence from alcoholic drink
Word Origin for temperance
C14: from Latin temperantia, from temperāre to regulate
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
Medical definitions for temperance
temperance
[ tĕm′pər-əns, tĕm′prəns ]
n.
Moderation and self-restraint, as in behavior or expression.
Restraint in the use of or abstinence from alcoholic liquors.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.