Dictionary

abstinence en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈæb.stɪ.nəns/

Etymology

From Middle English abstinence, from Old French abstinence, from Latin abstinentia, from abstinēns, present participle of abstineō (“to withhold”). Equivalent to abstain + -ence.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.
   • Near-synonyms: abstentiousness, abstemiousness
   • Penance, Faſts, and Abſtinence, / To puniſh Bodies for the Souls offence. 1665 (first performance), John Dryden, The Indian Emperour, or, The Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for H[enry] Herringman […], published 1667, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, page 11:
   • The abstinence from a present pleasure that offers itself is a pain, nay, oftentimes, a very great one. 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:
   • These five short films by San Francisco artist James Broughton, reveal to the viewer the artistic changes undergone by the artist during his 15-year abstinence from filmmaking. 1981 August 22, Larry Goldsmith, “Lesbian and Gay Independents”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 6, page 10:
2. (countable, uncountable) The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite. ▸ Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating/alcoholic beverages; total abstinence; teetotalism).
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:abstinence.
3. (countable, uncountable) The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite. ▸ Specifically, the practice of abstaining from sexual intercourse, either permanently or until marriage.
   • Abstinence is the only 100% guaranteed contraception.
4. (countable, uncountable) The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite. ▸ Abstention from certain foods on days of penitential observance.
   • "The church teaching before Vatican II was that it was 'gravely sinful' to take 2 ounces of meat on a day of abstinence such as Friday," said the Rev. Joseph S. Rossi, a Jesuit professor of church history at Loyola College. 1995 September 18, Rafael Alvarez, “Catholics asked to avoid eating meat on Fridays Cardinal suggests abstinence in weeks leading up to Pope's visit”, in Baltimore Sun:
5. (countable, uncountable) The practice of self-denial; self-restraint; forebearance from anything.
6. (countable, obsolete, uncountable) Self-denial; abstaining; or forebearance of anything.
7. (countable, uncountable) Delay of spending to accrue capital.

Forms

Deriveds

abstinence of war · abstinence ring · abstinency · abstinence only · abstinence syndrome · abstinence theory · inabstinence · neonatal abstinence syndrome · fapstinence

Relateds

abstemious · abstinent · continence · asexual

Synonyms

abstemiousness · abstention · abstemiousness · temperance · abstention · abstemiousness · abstention · abstentiousness · abstention · abstentiousness · abstentiousness · abstentiousness · abstemiousness

Translations (93)

fr abstinence (the practice of self-denial) · fi pidättyvyys (the practice of self-denial) · ota پرهیز (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · ro abstinență (the act or practice of abstaining) · pl abstynencja (the act or practice of abstaining) · sv kyskhet (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · pt abstinência (the practice of self-denial) · io abstinenco (the act or practice of abstaining) · ota پرهیز (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · fi kieltäytyminen (the practice of self-denial) · it astemìa (the act or practice of abstaining) · nb avholdenhet (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · ga lánstaonadh (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · nb avholdenhet (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · ang sȳfernes (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · ota پرهیز (the practice of self-denial) · sh uzdržljivost (the act or practice of abstaining) · ca abstinència (the act or practice of abstaining) · fi täysraittius (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · ru абстине́нция (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · el εγκράτεια (the act or practice of abstaining) · ia abstinentia (the act or practice of abstaining) · nl uitstel van betaling (delay of spending) · de Keuschheit (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · it astinenza (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · es abstinencia (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · pt abstinência sexual (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · es vigilia (the act or practice of abstaining) · ru воздержа́ние (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · fr abstinence (the act or practice of abstaining) · es vigilia (the practice of self-denial) · fr abstinence (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · nb avholdenhet (the practice of self-denial) · nl geheelonthouding (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · it astinenza (the act or practice of abstaining) · pl abstynencja (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · fi pidättyvyys (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · nl onthouding (the act or practice of abstaining) · nl onthouding (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · nb avhold (the practice of self-denial) · sh trezvenost (the act or practice of abstaining) · ru воздержа́ние (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · it astinenza (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · nb avhold (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · ru тре́звенность (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · ota پرهیز (the act or practice of abstaining) · sv avhållsamhet (the act or practice of abstaining) · fi pidättyvyys (the act or practice of abstaining) · fr abstinence (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · pt abstinência (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · fi pidättyminen (the act or practice of abstaining) · ru абстине́нция (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · de Abstinenz (the act or practice of abstaining) · de Enthaltsamkeit (the act or practice of abstaining) · sh samoodricanje (the act or practice of abstaining) · ang sȳfernes (the act or practice of abstaining) · nb abstinens (the act or practice of abstaining) · pl wstrzemięźliwość (the act or practice of abstaining) · nb avhold (the act or practice of abstaining) · pt abstinência (the act or practice of abstaining) · nb avhold (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · ln ekila (the act or practice of abstaining) · nl abstinentie (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · ga abstanaid (the act or practice of abstaining) · pl wstrzemięźliwość (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · bg трезвеност (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · et karskus (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · nb avholdenhet (the act or practice of abstaining) · de Enthaltsamkeit (the practice of self-denial) · nb abstinens (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · pl abstynencja (delay of spending) · eo abstinado (the act or practice of abstaining) · ang forhæfednes (the act or practice of abstaining) · sh uzdržavanje (the act or practice of abstaining) · de Abstinenz (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · sh trezvenjaštvo (the act or practice of abstaining) · sh umerenost (the act or practice of abstaining) · es abstinencia (the act or practice of abstaining) · sv avhållsamhet (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · fr abstinence sexuelle (specifically, abstinence from sexual intercourse) · tl ngilin (the act or practice of abstaining) · sq përkore (the act or practice of abstaining) · ru воздержа́ние (the act or practice of abstaining) · nl abstinentie (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · nl alcoholonthouding (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · nl onthouding (the practice of self-denial) · sv absolutism (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · lol ekila (the act or practice of abstaining) · la abstinentia (the act or practice of abstaining) · tl pangilin (the act or practice of abstaining) · bg въздържание (the act or practice of abstaining) · fi raittius (specifically, abstinence from alcohol) · it astinenza (the practice of self-denial)