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
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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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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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The most effective form of prevention appears to be lead-by-example abstinence.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
6 Apr. 2026
-
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
-
The Lamont administration invited to the signing ceremony Hammersley and others who have been critical of Connecticut’s longstanding inadequacies in education funding, which have been the subject of litigation over decades, as well as the current governor’s fiscal moderation.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
17 Apr. 2026
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Sama has since changed its business model and stopped offering content moderation services to Meta, but has remained focused on services such as AI data labeling for the tech giant.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
She was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence after undergoing field sobriety tests.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Spears, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, showed signs of impairment and underwent field sobriety tests, CHP said.—
Shafiq Najib,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The fellows dealt with disciplines ranging from social work, nursing and public health, geography, architecture, performance studies, and art.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
The Mule discipline, which has been drawing particular attention, involves robotic systems transporting equipment and supplies.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The department is currently investigating more than two dozen facilities and says, while most providers recognize the need for regulation, some don't think the laws around restraint and seclusion should apply to them.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
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The volunteer, named Jacki and played with warm restraint by Tessa Thompson, has been slowly developing a friendship with Yarris, a mercurial but undeniably charismatic character played by Adrien Brody, your go-to actor for any slight man with a loping, unsteady energy.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
16 Apr. 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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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 19 Apr. 2026.
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