abstinence

1 of 3

noun (1)

ab·sti·nence ˈab-stə-nən(t)s

Synonyms of abstinence

: the practice of abstaining from something : the practice of not doing or having something that is wanted or enjoyable

… ate with a haste and an apparent relish, that seemed to betoken long abstinence from food.—Walter Scott

: habitual abstaining from intoxicating beverages

: abstention from sexual intercourse

abstinent

ˈab-stə-nənt

adjective

abstinently adverb

abstinent

2 of 3

adjective

ab·sti·nent ˈab-stə-nənt

: practicing abstinence : abstemious, continent, temperate

abstinently adverb

abstinent

3 of 3

noun (2)

ab·sti·nent ˈab-stə-nənt

plural -s

: one that abstains

usually capitalized : one of a 4th century Christian ascetic sect in southwestern Europe that rejected meat eating and held that the relation between the sexes should be purely spiritual compare priscillianist

Synonyms of abstinence

Relevance

Noun (1)

temperance

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of abstinence in a Sentence

Noun (1) The program promoted sexual abstinence for young people. a cleric vainly preaching abstinence in a world where self-indulgence is regarded as almost a virtue

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Noun

For their winning project, the duo, who live and work between Paris and Luxembourg, collected sobriety tokens from members of abstinence groups, which represent the amount of time a person has been sober. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 People whose lives spiral when social media enters the picture might need to abstain, although doctors are finding that for behavioral addictions abstinence might not be feasible (screens are everywhere). — Jeanna Bryner, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Of the men who were part of the original study's AAS-using cohort, 35 were still taking the drugs, while the remaining participants were in varying stages of quitting, long-term abstinence and relapse. — New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026 Length of abstinence, recent illness, medications, stress, collection conditions and differences among labs can all affect the results. — Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abstinence

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin abstinentia, noun derivative of abstinent-, abstinens, present participle of abstinēre "to abstain"

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin abstinent-, abstinens, present participle of abstinēre "to abstain"

Noun (2)

Middle English, derivative of abstinent abstinent entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of abstinence was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Abstinence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abstinence. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

abstinence

noun

ab·sti·nence ˈab-stə-nən(t)s

: an abstaining from giving in to an appetite or from eating some foods

: habitual abstaining from drinking alcoholic beverages

: abstention from sexual intercourse

abstinent

-nənt

adjective

abstinently adverb

Medical Definition

abstinence

noun

ab·sti·nence ˈab-stə-nən(t)s

: the act or practice of abstaining especially from engagement in sexual intercourse or consumption of intoxicating beverages

abstinent

-nənt

adjective

abstinence

noun (1)

adjective

noun (2)

Synonyms of abstinence

Examples of abstinence in a Sentence

Word History

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Kids Definition

Medical Definition

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