Dictionary

abstain en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /əbˈsteɪn/ (US)
• /əbˈsteɪn/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /æbˈsteɪn/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

First attested around 1380. From Middle English absteynen, absteinen, abstenen, from Old French astenir, abstenir, from Latin abstineō (“to hold oneself back”) from abs- (“from”) + teneō (“to hold”). See also tenable.

Meanings

1. (obsolete, reflexive, transitive) Keep or withhold oneself.
2. (intransitive) Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence.
   • The Security Council […] calls upon all Governments and authorities, without prejudice to the rights, claims or positions of the parties concerned, to abstain from any hostile military action in Palestine and to that end to issue a cease-fire order to their military and paramilitary forces 22 May 1948, United Nations, Security Council Resolution 49
   • In order to improve his health, Rob decided to abstain from smoking.
   • Who abstains from meat that is not gaunt? 1597, Shakespeare, Richard II, II-i:
3. (intransitive) Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence. ▸ To refrain from drinking alcohol.
   • … she had made Bunting abstain very early in their acquaintance. … Glad she was now that he had taken the pledge as a younger man; but for that nothing would have kept him from the drink during the bad times they had gone through. 1913, Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes, The Lodger:
4. (intransitive, obsolete) Fast (not eat for a period).
5. (intransitive) Deliberately refrain from casting one's vote at a meeting where one is present.
   • […]forcing a small portion of the population to abstain from voting 1913, Thomas Babington Macaulay, A Short History of English Liberalism:
   • I abstain from this vote, as I have no particular preference.
6. (obsolete, transitive) Hinder; keep back; withhold.
   • Whether he abstain men from marying [sic]. 1645, John Milton, Tetrachordon: Expositions on the four chief places in Scripture:

Forms

Deriveds

abstainment · abstention · abstainable · abstainer · nonabstaining

Relateds

abstemious · abstinent · abstinence

Synonyms

forbear · give up · forgo · deny oneself · refrain · relinquish · withhold · abjure

Translations (98)

sv röstskolka (refrain from voting) · nb avstå (refrain from — see also refrain) · he נמנע (refrain from voting) · mi papare (refrain from — see also refrain) · it astenersi (refrain from — see also refrain) · fr s'abstenir (refrain from — see also refrain) · sh apstinírati (refrain from — see also refrain) · nb stemme blankt (refrain from voting) · cmn 棄權 /弃权 (refrain from — see also refrain) · za vutgienz (refrain from voting) · fi pidättäytyä (refrain from — see also refrain) · he נמנע (refrain from — see also refrain) · sh апстини́рати (refrain from voting) · mi tātāwhi (hinder, withhold) · got 𐌲𐌰𐌸𐌰𐍂𐌱𐌰𐌽 (refrain from — see also refrain) · ru воздержа́ться (refrain from voting) · nl zich onthouden (van stemming) (refrain from voting) · tyz căm (refrain from — see also refrain) · sh suzdržávati (refrain from — see also refrain) · bni kila (refrain from — see also refrain) · fy behinderje (hinder, withhold) · ru возде́рживаться (refrain from voting) · ja 慎む (refrain from — see also refrain) · hy ձեռնպահ լինել (refrain from voting) · lol kila (refrain from — see also refrain) · he התנזר (refrain from — see also refrain) · mi wainamu (refrain from — see also refrain) · de verzichten (refrain from — see also refrain) · nb abstinere (refrain from — see also refrain) · cs zdržet se (refrain from — see also refrain) · uk утри́матися (refrain from voting) · cmn 戒除 (refrain from — see also refrain) · es abstenerse (refrain from — see also refrain) · pl wstrzymać się (refrain from voting) · ja 差し控える (refrain from — see also refrain) · ja 投票を棄権する (refrain from voting) · fy ferhinderje (hinder, withhold) · mi tāwhi (hinder, withhold) · uk утри́муватися (refrain from — see also refrain) · fi estää (hinder, withhold) · nl abstineren (refrain from — see also refrain) · hu tartózkodik (refrain from — see also refrain) · nb avholde seg (refrain from — see also refrain) · eo abstini (refrain from — see also refrain) · nl verhinderen (hinder, withhold) · es abstener (hinder, withhold) · sh сустезати (refrain from — see also refrain) · de abhalten (hinder, withhold) · it astenersi (refrain from voting) · sh uzdr̀žati (refrain from voting) · de sich enthalten (refrain from voting) · pt impedir (hinder, withhold) · pl wstrzymywać się (refrain from voting) · pt abster-se (refrain from — see also refrain) · sv lägga ned sin röst (refrain from voting) · si වළකිනවා (refrain from — see also refrain) · es abstenerse (refrain from voting) · sh apstinírati (refrain from voting) · sv hindra (hinder, withhold) · sh суздржа́вати (refrain from — see also refrain) · sv avstå (refrain from — see also refrain) · da forhindre (hinder, withhold) · sl vzdržati se (refrain from — see also refrain) · hu (meg)tartóztatja magát (refrain from — see also refrain) · fi kieltäytyä (refrain from — see also refrain) · ln kila (refrain from — see also refrain) · mi pare (refrain from — see also refrain) · cmn 避免 (refrain from — see also refrain) · sh апстини́рати (refrain from — see also refrain) · lo ງົດອອກສຽງ (refrain from voting) · pt abster-se (refrain from voting) · ro abține (refrain from — see also refrain) · cmn 棄權 /弃权 (refrain from voting) · fr s'abstenir (refrain from voting) · da afholde sig (fra at stemme) (refrain from voting) · hu tartózkodik (refrain from voting) · pl powstrzymywać się (refrain from — see also refrain) · pt privar-se (refrain from — see also refrain) · th งดออกเสียง (refrain from voting) · cs zdržet se (refrain from voting) · ang forbūgan (refrain from — see also refrain) · ca abstenir-se (refrain from — see also refrain) · ar اِمْتَنَعَ (refrain from — see also refrain) · da afholde sig (refrain from — see also refrain) · io abstenar (refrain from — see also refrain) · wyi nin'wilt-teni (refrain from — see also refrain) · uk утри́муватися (refrain from voting) · nl zich onthouden (refrain from — see also refrain) · da afstå (refrain from — see also refrain) · uk утри́матися (refrain from — see also refrain) · nb forhindre (hinder, withhold) · fy keare (hinder, withhold) · la abstineo (refrain from — see also refrain) · bg въздържам се (refrain from — see also refrain) · fi äänestää tyhjää (refrain from voting) · sv avhålla sig (refrain from — see also refrain) · sh sustezati (refrain from — see also refrain) · pl powstrzymać się (refrain from — see also refrain)