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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for temperance
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
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
See All Example Sentences for temperance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temperance
Noun
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The most effective form of prevention appears to be lead-by-example abstinence.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
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The podcaster, who's currently expecting a baby with husband Matt Howard, spoke on the Friday, April 3, episode of her Always Here podcast about her wedding night and what her experience with abstinence was like.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For many people, shrimp is safe to eat in moderation.—
Carrie Madormo,
Verywell Health,
23 Apr. 2026
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While news outlets attempt to maintain civility in comment sections by various forms of moderation and by articulating policies of acceptable speech, moderating comments itself is a labor-intensive endeavor, and not all news outlets want to or can dedicate the necessary amount of resources to it.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Though Perry tried to hide his condition, the dramatic changes in his appearance each year reflected his state of sobriety.—
Gina Kalsi,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
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One bracelet tracked his whereabouts, and the other his sobriety.—
Dave Savini,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The local school board would decide whether cell phones could be used during after-school activities, and the districts would set their own policies on issues such as discipline for violating the policy, lawmakers said.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
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Both focus on human achievement, discipline and expression.—
Taylor Haught,
Kansas City Star,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Following the investigation, more than 50 sheriffs in Missouri and Kansas updated their restraint policies, and the National Institute for Jail Operations recommended the content for national training, signaling a push for reform in how restraint systems are managed in correctional facilities.—
Brande Victorian,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
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Colorado is among several states to prohibit or severely limit the use of chokeholds and neck restraints by police officers.—
Morgan Lee,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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These are the muscles that play a critical role in supporting our pelvic organs and maintaining continence.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
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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
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On Ash Wednesday, many Christians go to church for a service that emphasizes the start of a season of reflection, self-denial and repentance from sin.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Feb. 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 1 May. 2026.
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