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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Millions of Muslims around the world every year observe Ramadan, a period of prayer, reflection and abstinence that coincides with the ninth month of the Islamic calendar.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
17 Mar. 2026
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Keeping Your Liver Healthy The World Health Organization recommends abstinence from alcohol, stating that no amount of alcohol is considered safe.—
Angela Ryan Lee,
Verywell Health,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Most have changed their policies on issues like the environment, diversity and content moderation to fall in line with the administration.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
16 Mar. 2026
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Matcha is generally safe to drink in moderation.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her journey towards long-lasting sobriety aligns with her unfolding detective work to find her anonymous aggressor.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
15 Mar. 2026
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In January, Paris celebrated six years of sobriety on Instagram.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Profar also intended to ask the MLBPA to file a grievance to appeal any discipline earlier this month.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
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The deal offers Tesla owners 50% off every mile driven using Full Self-Driving technology and does not sacrifice underwriting discipline.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Those documents go on to cite state data that shows a 39% increase in the use of restraints in two separate six-month periods in 2023 and 2024.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
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The opening two weeks of the current fighting, however, have seen a significant loosening of the restraints on targeting critical infrastructure.—
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 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 22 Mar. 2026.
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