abstinence
Americannoun
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forbearance, especially habitual forbearance as a lifestyle choice, from any indulgence of a particular appetite, such as from sex or from the use of alcoholic beverages.
The program promotes sexual abstinence for teens, but also provides information on contraception in case they become sexually active.
- Synonyms:
- teetotalism, sobriety, abstemiousness
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any self-restraint, self-denial, or forbearance.
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the act of abstaining for any length of time from a substance or activity to which one has become addicted, but without actually dealing with the root causes of dependency.
Abstinence addresses the symptoms of addiction, while sobriety has deeper mental and emotional dimensions.
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the act of abstaining from a particular substance or activity as a spiritual discipline, as during Lent or some other period of religious fasting or self-denial.
At one time Lenten abstinence from meat was stricter than it is today.
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Economics. the conserving of current income in order to build up capital or savings.
noun
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the act or practice of refraining from some action or from the use of something, esp alcohol
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RC Church the practice of refraining from specific kinds of food or drink, esp from meat, as an act of penance
Other Word Forms
- abstinent adjective
- proabstinence adjective
Etymology
Origin of abstinence
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English word from Latin word abstinentia. See abstain, -ence
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It concludes a 40-day period known as Lent, during which Christians focus on prayer, almsgiving, and practice traditions such as abstinence from eating meat on certain days.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
That’s not to suggest that abstinence alone has turned Team USA into champions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 11, 2025
"Dead people can't recover, and overwhelmingly the research shows that there's no opposition between harm reduction and abstinence goals."
From Salon • May 24, 2025
Along with her fiancé, they have committed to abstinence until after their wedding.
From BBC • Nov. 29, 2024
He had not flown in the month he had been home and he felt this abstinence in his mouth and bones.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
