temperance

American  

[tem-per-uhns, tem-pruhns] / ˈtɛm pər əns, ˈtɛm prəns /

noun

1. moderation or self-restraint in action, statement, etc.; self-control.

2. habitual moderation in the indulgence of a natural appetite or passion, especially in the use of alcoholic liquors.

3. total abstinence from alcoholic liquors.

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temperance British  

/ ˈtɛmpərəns /

noun

1. restraint or moderation, esp in yielding to one's appetites or desires

2. abstinence from alcoholic drink

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Other Word Forms

• antitemperance adjective

Etymology

Origin of temperance

1200–50; Middle English temperaunce < Anglo-French < Latin temperantia self-control. See temper, -ance

Explanation

Temperance means restraint and moderation, but if you're talking about alcohol, temperance means not just drinking in moderation, it means not having it at all. The temperance movement appeared in the U.S. in the 19th century, at first urging moderation in drinking but eventually seeking to outlaw alcohol entirely. It managed to get Prohibition enacted in 1919, which did outlaw alcohol, but it was repealed in 1933. Temperance doesn't just have to do with alcohol, it can refer to avoiding any kind of excess: if your new diet requires temperance, you're eating in a balanced, sensible way. Temperance comes from the Latin temperare, "restrain."

Example Sentences

"The lasting influences of the temperance movement went on for quite a long time," Ms Marshall says.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

Beloved in colonial America, hard cider lost favor in the mid-19th century as crisp lagers ascended; the temperance movement and Prohibition felled cider-apple trees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

Early Free Methodists were active in the temperance and abolitionist movements.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2024

In Scotland, it was cooler, and in Wales, social forces were gathering against it, including the temperance movement.

From New York Times • Jan. 14, 2024

The conservatives in the organization did not want the temperance group to have any link to suffrage, women’s rights, or the divorce issue.

From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling