Noun: abstinence
| Singular | abstinence |
| Plural | abstinences |
Sample Sentences
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Near-synonyms: abstentiousness, abstemiousness
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Penance, Faſts, and Abſtinence, / To puniſh Bodies for the Souls offence. [1665 (first performance), John Dryden, The Indian Emperour, or, The Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for H[enry] Herringman […], published 1667, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, page 11:]
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The abstinence from a present pleasure that offers itself is a pain, nay, oftentimes, a very great one. [1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:]
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These five short films by San Francisco artist James Broughton, reveal to the viewer the artistic changes undergone by the artist during his 15-year abstinence from filmmaking. [1981 August 22, Larry Goldsmith, “Lesbian and Gay Independents”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 6, page 10:]
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For quotations using this term, see Citations:abstinence.
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Abstinence is the only 100% guaranteed contraception.
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"The church teaching before Vatican II was that it was 'gravely sinful' to take 2 ounces of meat on a day of abstinence such as Friday," said the Rev. Joseph S. Rossi, a Jesuit professor of church history at Loyola College. [1995 September 18, Rafael Alvarez, “Catholics asked to avoid eating meat on Fridays Cardinal suggests abstinence in weeks leading up to Pope's visit”, in Baltimore Sun:]
Nouns inflected like abstinence
soldier's woundwort,
Nicosian,
whopper,
greypate,
tactile sign language,
chronotrope,
Rosie Lee,
dissentient,
photoinactivator,
sulphonediimine,
coastal waterfall,
residuary devise,
bituminization,
nitrosonaphthol,
smṛiti,
geosphere,
backscreen,
mensuralist,
flocculate,
flocculant, etc. (List truncated at 20 nouns)
Etymology
From Middle English abstinence, from Old French abstinence, from Latin abstinentia, from abstinēns, present participle of abstineō (“to withhold”). Equivalent to abstain + -ence. See: Middle English Nouns '
abstinence', Latin Nouns '
abstinentia'.
Verbs referencing "abstinence"
Finnish Nouns
abstinenssi.