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
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
There were many episodes about temperance, women's suffrage and Jim Crow laws this season on the series, all historical elements that brought great change and chaos to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Those interviewed for this article – whose backgrounds range from science to politics – have found that humanity, honesty, compassion, humility, and temperance are needed in these frank conversations.
—Stephen Humphries, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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
There were many episodes about temperance, women's suffrage and Jim Crow laws this season on the series, all historical elements that brought great change and chaos to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2025
Those interviewed for this article – whose backgrounds range from science to politics – have found that humanity, honesty, compassion, humility, and temperance are needed in these frank conversations.
—Stephen Humphries, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for temperance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temperance
Noun
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Observance of Ash Wednesday often includes fasting, abstinence from meat, and receiving ashes on the forehead.—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
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Fasting and abstinence practices can vary among different Christian denominations and individuals.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Modern French wellness is about moderation, not deprivation.—
Hannah Seligson,
Vanity Fair,
12 Feb. 2026
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The United States Food and Drug Administration has noted a link between kava consumption and rare instances of liver damage, so moderation is recommended.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Roughly 100 people work at the northeast Wisconsin and Milwaukee locations each year, building sobriety and stable employment records free of the many obstacles found in typical workplaces.—
Miranda Dunlap,
jsonline.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Among the frenzy of videos promoting healthier diets, marathon running, and sobriety, one trend catching on with young people—ironically on social media—is the idea of a digital detox, taking time away from our phone’s most addictive apps to improve everything from sleep to focus.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Within the sport, there are several disciplines, including individual races, sprints and team relays.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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This year, starting Wednesday, Muslim families will fast from dawn to dusk, and mosques are opening their doors to neighbors each evening, not simply as a ritual but as a reminder that personal discipline and public responsibility are inseparable.—
Irfan Sarwar,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Just like human relationships, the success of intelligent environments will depend not only on intelligence, but on tone, rhythm, restraint and trust.—
Nathanael Bondu,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2026
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But aggressive corporate action has yet to be matched by restraint through regulatory action, Russell said.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The pelvic floor supports the pelvic organs (the bladder, uterus and bowel), controls the body’s continence mechanisms and helps with core stability.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
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The pelvic floor muscles need to work in a coordinated pattern, relaxing to allow urine to flow and contracting to maintain continence, said Alexis E. Te, MD, a professor of urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Verywell.—
Maggie O'Neill,
Verywell Health,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Old family patterns or inner-child wounds could surface, not to derail you, but to remind you that leadership doesn’t mean emotional self-denial.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
21 Dec. 2025
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Saint Anthony was an Egyptian monk whose relics were brought to France during the Crusades in the Middle Ages, after inspiring many people to take up seclusion and self-denial.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
11 Aug. 2025
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 20 Feb. 2026.
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