abstention

Definition of abstentionnext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abstention The bill, championed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, passed its second and third reading by 62 votes to 48, with one abstention. Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2026 The agreement clarifies that the court denied Morris’ motion to dismiss based on the ecclesiastical abstention doctrine. Alexa Shrake, Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026 The legislators voted 104-81 to dismiss the measure in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament, with one abstention and 14 lawmakers absent. Arkansas Online, 4 Mar. 2026 The recommendations were approved by 47 votes in favor, with two opposing votes and one abstention, Haberturk broadcaster reported. Suzan Fraser, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for abstention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstention
Noun
  • Not one for false abnegation of words distorted by smears, Rushdie doubles down on his right to freedom of expression, defending his dissent from religious orthodoxy.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 25 Jan. 2026
  • That, for me, feels like an abnegation of our responsibility in theater.
    Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • And the cost of this avoidance is financial as well as cultural.
    Patrick Jinks, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
  • When signs of stress or avoidance are detected, the stimulation is automatically suspended.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026
Noun
  • Instead, every new Drake project is a buffet of humiliation, mortification, and self-serving delusion.
    Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 18 May 2026
  • Both Bowen and Burrell have teens of their own – three boys and two girls, respectively – and are far too familiar with the typical parent-teen mortification dilemma.
    Sam Woodward, USA Today, 9 May 2026
Noun
  • Following several years of contemplation and asceticism, Dorje hopes to return to the United States to teach in Minnesota's Buddhist community at the Nyingmapa Taksham Buddhist Center.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 May 2026
  • Within pashmina throws and Ladakh yak-wool woven rugs, sold in the shop, soften the near-monastic asceticism of the décor and effects of the crepuscular lighting.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • If the assassination made the President a Christlike figure, his forbearance in the face of a wife’s unreasonableness provides him with an extra measure of purity.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 May 2026
  • If the assassination made the President a Christlike figure, his forbearance in the face of a wife’s unreasonableness provides him with an extra measure of purity.
    Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • What begins as an effortful act of self-denial gradually becomes an expression of identity.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
  • At the beginning of her relationship with John, Carolyn’s central problem was that being part of the Kennedy family demanded some level of self-denial.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Kacey Musgraves’s twisting catalogue cruises through country, folk, pop, soul, and disco in search of multifaceted frugality.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 7 May 2026
  • On a call with reporters Monday, Wu defended the frugality of her FY27 spending plan amid calls for an audit of city and BPS spending by two city councilors.
    Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Her work has been touted nationally, but behind those accomplishments are sacrifices no one sees, said her son Paul Wilson.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 May 2026
  • The only potential argument to sway someone who fervently believes that is appealing to their sense of solidarity—to the obligations that every member of society has to every other, to the sacrifices that everyone must make to ensure that society is safe for all.
    Diana Gitig, ArsTechnica, 30 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Abstention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstention. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on abstention

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster