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
Relevance
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
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 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
-
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
-
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
-
Use your smartphone in moderation, or even better, treat yourself to a few days of digital detox—experience things firsthand and admire nature or a work of art with your own eyes rather than through a smartphone screen.—
Alessandra Signorelli,
Vogue,
29 May 2026
-
Starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, parsnips and rutabaga also have a high glycemic load and should be eaten in moderation, according to GoodRx.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Quintero refused sobriety testing at the scene.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
-
The California Highway Patrol will conduct a sobriety and driver’s license checkpoint Friday night in Sacramento County, officers said.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
Historically, the difference has come down to political discipline, institutional credibility, and the absence of an external shock.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
2 June 2026
-
Women’s sports were not created because women lacked talent, discipline or courage.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
No official casualty figures were immediately available from the violence that prompted calls for restraint from the United Nations and the United States as the government and opposition traded blame for the violence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 June 2026
-
However, the negotiations have allowed Trump to say that relations with China are in good shape and that both countries have exercised restraint.—
Thomas Wright,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
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 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
