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abstinence

abstinence

63 6.4
Choosing not to do things like drinking alcohol or having sex
  • noun
  • /ˈæb.stɪ.nəns/
  • NSFW
translation icon : abstinencia
  • He chose abstinence from alcohol to focus on his health and fitness.
  • abstinence from sex
  • abstinence from smoking
  • total abstinence

For me, recovery is somewhat based on abstinence.

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Examples

  • I get why you choose abstinence.

  • Again, it's just that men are not given that platform to feel comfortable speaking about abstinence and things of that nature.

  • Do you believe in abstinence, and if so, can you tell me why?

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The taste, after abstinence, was better than you might think it could be.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Dr. S is joining a public service campaign to promote sexual abstinence.

  • My vows of poverty and abstinence that I took 40 years ago prepared me quite well for prison life.

  • In the US, the only federally funded sex education is abstinence education.

    Academic text (2011)
  • There are four main categories of sex education: comprehensive sex ed, abstinence-plus education, abstinence-only education, and no sex education.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Many teens are encouraged to practice abstinence until they are older.

  • The program promotes abstinence as a way to prevent unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases.

Synonyms

temperance
vsabstinence
5 7.1

Control of eating, drinking, and behavior to avoid excess

is stricter deliberate avoidance rather than moderate self control
abstention
vsabstinence
1 7.2

Choosing not to take part in something, often giving up pleasures like alcohol

is the general practice of avoiding certain pleasures or habits
teetotaling
vsabstinence
  • US
1 7.7

Not drinking alcohol at all

is wider avoidance covering various pleasures beyond alcoholic drinks
continence
vsabstinence
  • NSFW
1 9.9

A person chooses not to have sex to show self-control

is broader avoidance of pleasures not limited to sexual matters
eschewal
vsabstinence
  • Formal
9.9

A choice to avoid something on purpose

is the ongoing restraint from pleasures or habits rather than single acts
nonindulgence
vsabstinence
8.8

Choosing not to enjoy pleasures or luxuries to control yourself

is broader restraint from certain pleasures or habits not only luxuries
continency
vsabstinence
  • NSFW
9.9

Choosing not to have sex or to limit sexual activity

is the general practice of avoiding pleasures including but not only sexual ones
abstemiousness
vsabstinence
  • Formal
9.9

A habit of eating and drinking only small amounts to avoid excess

is active avoidance of pleasures rather than moderate consumption

Antonyms

62 4.4

Doing something too much, often in an unhealthy or wrong way

24 6.0

A small pleasure you allow yourself, often without much self-control

How Restrained

asceticism
  • Formal
3 9.4
self-denial
4 5.7
abstinence
  • NSFW
63 6.4
temperance
5 7.1
moderation
47 3.5

Surface Forms

abstinence singular
abstinences plural

Morphology

abstinence = abstain (transparent) = abstain + ence

Meaning is a straightforward nominalization of the verb 'abstain' using the common suffix '-ence' to indicate state or quality.

Etymology

Abstinence comes from Latin parts ab- 'away' and tenere 'to hold', the same root you see in words like contain and retain. So abstinence means 'holding away' from pleasures or habits, which is why it describes avoiding things like alcohol or sex.