English Explanatory Dictionary

abstinence

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.
  2. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating/alcoholic beverages; total abstinence; teetotalism).
  3. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from sexual intercourse, either permanently or until marriage.
  4. Abstention from certain foods on days of penitential observance.
  5. The practice of self-denial; self-restraint; forebearance from anything.
  6. Self-denial; abstaining; or forebearance of anything.
  7. Delay of spending to accrue capital.

Pronunciation

/ˈæb.stɪ.nəns/ En-us-abstinence.ogg

Word forms

abstinence abstinences abstinency

Etymology

From Middle English abstinence, from Old French abstinence, from Latin abstinentia, from abstinēns, present participle of abstineō (“to withhold”). Equivalent to abstain + -ence.

Synonyms

abstention abstentiousness abstemiousness

Related words

abstemious abstinent asexual continence

Derived words

abstinence of war abstinence only abstinence ring abstinence syndrome abstinence theory abstinency fapstinence inabstinence neonatal abstinence syndrome

Translations

Albanian: përkore Bulgarian: въздържание Bulgarian: трезвеност Catalan: abstinència Dutch: onthouding Dutch: alcoholonthouding Dutch: geheelonthouding Dutch: abstinentie Esperanto: abstinado Finnish: pidättyminen Finnish: pidättyvyys Finnish: raittius Finnish: täysraittius French: abstinence German: Enthaltsamkeit German: Abstinenz Greek: εγκράτεια Ido: abstinenco Interlingua: abstinentia Irish: abstanaid Irish: lánstaonadh Italian: astinenza Italian: astemìa Latin: abstinentia Lingala: ekila Mongo: ekila Norwegian Bokmål: avhold Norwegian Bokmål: avholdenhet Norwegian Bokmål: abstinens Old English: sȳfernes Old English: forhæfednes Polish: abstynencja Polish: wstrzemięźliwość Portuguese: abstinência Romanian: abstinență Russian: воздержа́ние Russian: тре́звенность Russian: абстине́нция Serbo-Croatian: uzdržljivost Serbo-Croatian: samoodricanje Serbo-Croatian: uzdržavanje Serbo-Croatian: umerenost Serbo-Croatian: trezvenost Serbo-Croatian: trezvenjaštvo Spanish: vigilia Spanish: abstinencia Swedish: avhållsamhet Swedish: absolutism Tagalog: pangilin Tagalog: ngilin Ottoman Turkish: پرهیز Estonian: karskus
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