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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

abstention en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/ (US)
  • /æbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/ (US)
  • /əbˈstɛn.t͡ʃn̩/ (US)
  • /əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (US) audio
  • /æbˈstɛn.t͡ʃn̩/ (US)

Etymology

First attested in 1521. Borrowed from French abstention, from Late Latin abstēntiō from Latin abstinēō (“withhold, to abstain”)

Meanings

  1. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) The act of restraining oneself.
  2. (countable, uncountable) The act of abstaining or refraining (from).
    • abstention from sex
    • abstention from alcohol
  3. (countable, uncountable) The act of declining to vote on a particular issue.
    • There were five abstentions in the vote.
  4. (countable, uncountable) Non-participation in the political world; as a country avoiding international affairs.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
abstentions Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

nonabstention · abstentious · abstention doctrine · abstentionist · abstentionism

Relateds

abstinence

Translations (33)

ar اِمْتِنَاع (the act of abstaining) · nl onthouding (the act of abstaining) · ar إِمْسَاك (the act of abstaining) · ro abținere (the act of abstaining) · cmn 戒除 (the act of abstaining) · ia abstention (the act of abstaining) · de Abstandnehmen (the act of abstaining) · fi pidättäytyminen (the act of abstaining) · cmn 戒酒 (the act of abstaining) · bg въздържаност (the act of abstaining) · eo sindeteno (the act of abstaining) · ja 禁酒 (the act of abstaining) · de Enthaltung (the act of abstaining) · gd seachnadh (the act of abstaining) · pl abstynencja (the act of abstaining) · nl abstinentie (the act of abstaining) · cmn 棄權 /弃权 (the act of abstaining) · hu tartózkodás (the act of abstaining) · ja 不参加 (the act of abstaining) · cmn 禁酒 (the act of abstaining) · nb avhold (the act of abstaining) · tr çekimserlik (the act of abstaining) · he הִמָּנְעוּת (the act of abstaining) · ca abstenció (the act of abstaining) · ja 棄権 (the act of abstaining) · ru возде́ржанность (the act of abstaining) · ru воздержа́ние (the act of abstaining) · eo abstino (the act of abstaining) · es abstención (the act of abstaining) · pt abstenção (the act of abstaining) · ja 慎むこと (the act of abstaining) · it astensione (the act of abstaining) · fr abstention (the act of abstaining)