1
as in temperateness
an avoidance of extremes in one's actions, beliefs, or habits
my father attributes his ripe old age to temperance in all things, especially eating and drinking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abstinence
voluntary restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
practices a blue-blooded temperance that his parvenu neighbors will never understand
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of temperance
Founded as a railroad suburb and temperance community.
—
David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Jan. 2026
The financial incentive for airports and airlines to serve alcohol precludes temperance as a solution.
—Thomas Black, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 2025
Indiana is staunchly conservative, but its Republicans tend to foster a deliberate temperance.
—Isabella Volmert, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
The temperance movement, which aimed to reduce alcohol use, gained steam in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for temperance
David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Jan. 2026
The financial incentive for airports and airlines to serve alcohol precludes temperance as a solution.
—Thomas Black, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 2025
Indiana is staunchly conservative, but its Republicans tend to foster a deliberate temperance.
—Isabella Volmert, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2025
The temperance movement, which aimed to reduce alcohol use, gained steam in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
—Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for temperance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temperance
Noun
-
Temperance is the virtue of moderation, visible when players maintain composure under pressure.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Around the world, beer and wine are being pulled into the same moderation wave — alcohol‑free wine alone is growing at more than 20% a year.—
David Dickstein,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Noun
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But he's benefited from his busy daily workload and a lifetime of abstinence from tobacco and alcohol, said his physician, Sean Barbabella.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
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Rather than framing non-alcoholic beer around abstinence or restriction, the activations are designed to recreate the communal atmosphere traditionally associated with beer and live sports.—
Daphne Ewing-Chow,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
Remember, Mercury oversees communication, information, planning and perception, while Saturn brings limits, discipline, scrutiny and reality checks.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
9 June 2026
-
The administration investigated Chicago Public Schools and withheld more than $20 million when the district refused to end its Black Student Success Program, which aims to increase access to advanced coursework for Black students and reduce overly harsh discipline.—
Annie Ma,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The All’s Fair actress has been vocal about her sobriety, and celebrated the life-changing decision in a November 2025 Instagram post.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
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Back in November, Simpson, a mother of three, celebrated eight years of sobriety.—
Charisma Madarang,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Smith died of cardiac arrest combined with acute behavioral disturbance, cocaine use and holding restraint, The Times reported.—
Adam England,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
-
Zinedine Zidane’s infamous headbutt in the 2006 World Cup exemplifies a lack of Temperance, while excessive restraint can stifle passion.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Noun
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After the second session, the authors reported that the woman had even greater speech capabilities, more facial expressions and humor, increased walking agility and continued continence.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
-
The individual is unable to perform, without substantial assistance from another person, at least two of the six activities of daily living (eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, and continence), and the inability is expected to last for an indefinite period.—
James Lange,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
Noun
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What begins as an effortful act of self-denial gradually becomes an expression of identity.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
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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
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Her vocation requires the skill of transformation and self-abnegation, as well as a receptiveness to language and emotion not her own.—
Jordan Kisner,
The Atlantic,
4 Apr. 2025
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The audience responds gratefully to this level of self-abnegation, and the frankly chilling sounds that come out of her.—
Helen Shaw,
The New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Temperance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temperance. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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