Dictionary

incontinence en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɪnˈkɒntɪnəns/ (UK)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English incontinence, from Old French incontinence or its etymon Latin incontinentia. Doublet of incontinency.

Meanings

1. (countable, dated, uncountable) Lack of self-restraint, an inability to control oneself; unchastity.
   • Give these very Irish men and women something to make life decent and careworthy; give each family three acres of land, and the English Government will cure this wretched and debasing incontinence. 1881 January 31, Eltchi [pseudonym], “Rich and Poor in Britain […]”, in The Chicago Daily Tribune, volume XL, Chicago, Ill.: Tribune Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 2, column 4:
   • There were times, during the first two years of the Biden presidency, when I came close to forgetting about it all: the taunts and the provocations; the incitements and the resentments; the disorchestrated reasoning; the verbal incontinence; the press conferences fueled by megalomania, vengeance, and a soupçon of hydroxychloroquine. 2023 December 8, Jennifer Senior, “What Will Happen to the American Psyche If Trump Is Reelected?”, in Jeffrey Goldberg, editor, The Atlantic, Washington, D.C.: The Atlantic Monthly Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 08 Dec 2023:
   • verbal incontinence
   • Allworthy was ſufficiently offended by this Tranſgreſſion of Jones; for notwithſtanding the Aſſertions of Mr. Weſtern, it is certain this worthy Man had never indulged himſelf in any looſe Pleaſures with Women, and greatly condemned the Vice of Incontinence in others. 1749, Henry Fielding, “The Narrow Escape of Molly Seagrim, […]”, in The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume II, London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book IV, page 79:
2. (countable, uncountable) The inability of any of the physical organs to restrain discharges of their contents; involuntary discharge or evacuation (of urine or feces).
   • The objective is to make life easier for male colleagues and customers with urinary incontinence. 2024 July 10, “Network News: 'Boys Need Bins' backed by GTR”, in RAIL, number 1013, page 23:

Forms

Antonyms

continence · chastity (antonym(s) of “lack of self-restraint”)

Deriveds

stress incontinence · incontinence slip · incontinence pad · incontinence briefs · emotional incontinence · incontinence pants

Synonyms

akrasia (lack of self-restraint) · incontinency (lack of self-restraint)

Translations (38)

za raix (inability to restrain discharge) · no inkontinens (inability to restrain discharge) · de Inkontinenz (inability to restrain discharge) · ru инконтине́нция (inability to restrain discharge) · ru недержа́ние (inability to restrain discharge) · es incontinencia (lack of self-restraint) · nl incontinentie (inability to restrain discharge) · ca incontinència (inability to restrain discharge) · gv neuyeeinymneeaght (lack of self-restraint) · ja 自制がない (lack of self-restraint) · de Hemmungslosigkeit (lack of self-restraint) · ga neamhchoinneálacht (inability to restrain discharge) · la incontinēntia (lack of self-restraint) · cmn 無節制 /无节制 (lack of self-restraint) · el ακράτεια (inability to restrain discharge) · ar سَلَس (inability to restrain discharge) · ja 失禁 (inability to restrain discharge) · ga neamh-mheasarthacht (lack of self-restraint) · es incontinencia (inability to restrain discharge) · fi inkontinenssi (inability to restrain discharge) · pt incontinência (inability to restrain discharge) · cmn 失禁 (inability to restrain discharge) · fi karkailu (inability to restrain discharge) · fi siveettömyys (lack of self-restraint) · gv neuyeeinymaght (lack of self-restraint) · ja 抑制できない (lack of self-restraint) · fr incontinence (inability to restrain discharge) · de Zügellosigkeit (lack of self-restraint) · sv inkontinens (inability to restrain discharge) · fr incontinence (lack of self-restraint) · it incontinenza (inability to restrain discharge) · ga ainriantacht (lack of self-restraint) · pt incontinência (lack of self-restraint) · bg несдържаност (lack of self-restraint) · it incontinenza (lack of self-restraint) · ru несде́ржанность (lack of self-restraint) · pl inkontynencja (inability to restrain discharge) · da inkontinens (inability to restrain discharge)