Link Centre Dictionary

abstinence

abs·ti·nence

UK/ˈæb.stɪ.nəns/ US/ˈæbstʌnʌns/ uncommon obsolete

noun

1.

the trait of abstaining (especially from alcohol)

Synonyms
2.

act or practice of refraining from indulging an appetite

Origin

From Middle English abstinence, from Old French abstinence, from Latin abstinentia, from abstinēns, present participle of abstineō (“to withhold”). Equivalent to abstain + -ence.

Phrases

  • abstinence of war
  • abstinence only
  • abstinence ring
  • abstinence syndrome
  • abstinence theory
  • neonatal abstinence syndrome

Related words

Word family

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.