abstinence
/ˈæb.stɪ.nəns/
ÆB · stɪ · nəns (3 syllables)
English
Noun Top 22,282
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Definition
The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.
Etymology
From Middle English abstinence, from Old French abstinence, from Latin abstinentia, from abstinēns, present participle of abstineō (“I withhold”). Equivalent to abstain + -ence.
Example Sentences
- "Near-synonyms: abstentiousness, abstemiousness"
- "Penance, Faſts, and Abſtinence, / To puniſh Bodies for the Souls offence."
- "The abstinence from a present pleasure that offers itself is a pain, nay, oftentimes, a very great one."
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