abstinence

noun

ab·​sti·​nence ˈab-stə-nən(t)s 

1

: 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

2

a

: habitual abstaining from intoxicating beverages

b

: abstention from sexual intercourse

abstinent

ˈab-stə-nənt 

adjective

abstinently adverb

Synonyms of abstinence

• temperance

Examples of abstinence in a Sentence

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

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

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

abstinence

noun

ab·​sti·​nence ˈab-stə-nən(t)s 

1

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

2

a

: habitual abstaining from drinking alcoholic beverages

b

: 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