1
as in purity
abstention from sexual intercourse argued for a pregnancy-prevention program that did not put so much faith in the continence of teenagers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
as in temperance
voluntary restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites a gambling mecca that has a reputation for being the sort of place where caution and continence are thrown to the wind

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 continence This includes the five major types: stress incontinence, urge incontinence, mixed incontinence, overflow incontinence, and functional continence. Jamin Brahmbhatt, Verywell Health, 29 July 2024 Good posture helps maintain continence, support pelvic organs, and reduce back pain. Staci Tanouye, Parents, 29 Aug. 2023 Any chance Sally or Ed has anxiety, digestive or continence issues, hearing loss …? Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2023 To maintain continence, the puborectalis muscle chokes the anal canal. Cara Schacter, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2022 But even with the delayed start, most healthy, neurotypical kids achieve at least daytime continence by age three. Leah Campbell, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2021 Aging in the modern era is about slow unstoppable loss - of hearing, of memory, of mobility, of continence, of dignity. Kyle Munkittrick, Discover Magazine, 9 Sep. 2011
Recent Examples of Synonyms for continence
Noun
  • These standards allow consumers to see purity and authenticity in writing that is increasingly important in this category.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 12 Sep. 2025
  • One Water is not asking consumers to compromise between purity, style, or efficiency.
    Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • That sequencing discipline — contracts and notaries first, token sale last — is what turns digital claims into enforceable assets.
    Sean Lee, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Dividend growers also tend to be leaders in their subsectors, having demonstrated capital discipline in terms of reinvesting in their business and generating stockholder payouts, said Matt Quinlan, portfolio manager at Franklin Templeton.
    Michelle Fox, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Cox also called for restraint in reaction to Kirk’s assassination, noting that residents of Utah did not riot or loot or engage in violence, and instead held vigils and said prayers.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Despite efforts by the Biden administration to constrain the spyware market through its executive order, trade and visa restrictions, and sanctions, the industry has continued to operate largely without restraint.
    Vas Panagiotopoulos, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The movie clip reveals how much temperance, humanity, and transcendence Mary Jackson needs to navigate a system that has embedded injustices that few see or understand.
    Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Eureka Springs, Arkansas The entire downtown of Eureka Springs is part of the National Register of Historic Places: Admire the preserved Victorian architecture and make special note of Hatchet Hall, the former clapboard home of hatchet-wielding temperance movement leader Carry A. Nation.
    Ashlea Halpern, AFAR Media, 1 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Sheen is one of a number of celebrities who have been open about going through periods of celibacy.
    Brie Stimson, FOXNews.com, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Lee and her brother William would preach far and wide to attract people to their cause (a necessity, given the lifetime celibacy requirement) and their pursuit of a utopian society free of any and all sin.
    Barry Levitt, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The distraction does not eliminate the need for state repression.
    Time, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Russia’s culture ministry, alongside law enforcement agencies, is strictly enforcing these guidelines, merging its own cultural institutions into the country’s already mighty propaganda and repression machines.
    Yegor Mostovshikov, The Dial, 9 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The title that has become attached to the painting over time curiously characterizes the Virgin Mary by the fruit, perhaps in recognition of her chastity, especially when considered in the context of Persephone’s myth.
    Demir Alp, JSTOR Daily, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Some do it because they are caged for some reason or another and haven’t figured how to pop their cork while in chastity.
    Mikelle Street, Them., 19 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • This also supports the idea that swearing can momentarily activate mental states that reduce inhibition and allow the body and mind to perform at a higher level.
    Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Lockwood’s lack of inhibition can lead to trouble.
    Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Continence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/continence. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on continence

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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