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abstinence

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈæbstɪnəns/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈæbstənəns/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(abstə nəns)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ab•sti•nence /ˈæbstənəns/USA pronunciation   n. [uncountable]
  1. the keeping of oneself from enjoyment of something:abstinence from alcohol.
ab•sti•nent, adj. See -ten-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
ab•sti•nence  (abstə nəns),USA pronunciation n. 
  1. forbearance from any indulgence of appetite, esp. from the use of alcoholic beverages:total abstinence.
  2. any self-restraint, self-denial, or forbearance.
  3. Business[Econ.]the conserving of current income in order to build up capital or savings.
  4. Psychiatrythe state of being without a drug, as alcohol or heroin, on which one is dependent.
Also, absti•nen•cy. 
  • Latin abstinentia. See abstain, -ence
  • Middle English 1250–1300
absti•nent, adj. 
absti•nent•ly, adv. 
    1. abstemiousness, sobriety, teetotalism.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
abstinence /ˈæbstɪnəns/ n
  1. the act or practice of refraining from some action or from the use of something, esp alcohol
Etymology: 13th Century: via Old French from Latin abstinentia, from abstinēre to abstainˈabstinent adj ˈabstinently adv
'abstinence' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

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