abstain

verb

ab·​stain əb-ˈstān How to pronounce abstain (audio)
ab-
abstained; abstaining; abstains

intransitive verb

1
: to choose not to do or have something : to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice
abstain from drinking
2
: to choose not to vote
Ten members voted for the proposal, six members voted against it, and two abstained.
abstainer noun

Did you know?

If you abstain, you're consciously, and usually with effort, choosing to hold back from doing something that you would like to do. Lucky for you, we’d never abstain from sharing a good bit of word history. Abstain traces back through Middle English and Anglo-French to the Latin verb abstinēre, which combines the prefix ab- ("from, away, off") with tenēre, a Latin verb meaning "to hold." (Spanish speakers might recognize tenēre’s influence in the Spanish verb tener, meaning "to have, hold, or take.") Tenēre has many offspring in English; other descendants include contain, detain, maintain, obtain, pertain, retain, and sustain, as well as some words that don’t end in -tain, such as tenant and tenacious. Abstain, like many of its cousins, has been used by English speakers since at least the 14th century.

Examples of abstain in a Sentence

Ten members voted for the proposal, six members voted against it, and two abstained.
Recent Examples on the Web Fasting, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is a requirement during the month of Ramadan, with Muslims abstaining from food and water from sunrise to sundown. Marina Johnson, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Muslims will fast from sunrise to sunset, abstaining from food and drink. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 The council ultimately voted 4-0 in favor of establishing the ad hoc committee, with Councilmember Jennifer Hansen-Romero abstaining from the vote after arguing the issue was outside of the city’s purview. Sierra Lopez, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2024 Filmmakers who don’t need to show smoking should abstain, the researchers said. USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 While completely abstaining from technology is unrealistic, given your expectations and varied responsibilities, taking the reins over your relationship with technology is critical. Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 City officials could delay or abstain from issuing the debt though, if there were concerns about repayment. Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 Some have suggested that movies should abstain from such scenes entirely. Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 The singer abstained from alcohol on weekdays and sometimes indulged on weekends. Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 18 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'abstain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English absteinen, abstenen, borrowed from Anglo-French asteign-, absteign-, stem of astenir, abstenir, borrowed (with conjugation change, conformed to tenir) from Latin abstinēre "to keep from, hold back, refrain, withhold oneself from," from abs- (variant of ab- ab- before c- and t-) + tenēre "to hold, occupy, possess" — more at tenant entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of abstain was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near abstain

Cite this Entry

“Abstain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abstain. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

abstain

verb
ab·​stain əb-ˈstān How to pronounce abstain (audio)
: to keep oneself from doing something
abstain from voting
abstainer noun

Medical Definition

abstain

intransitive verb
ab·​stain əb-ˈstān, ab- How to pronounce abstain (audio)
: to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice (as consumption of a food or a drug or indulgence in sexual intercourse)
abstainer noun

Legal Definition

abstain

intransitive verb
ab·​stain əb-ˈstān, ab- How to pronounce abstain (audio)
: to refrain from exercising federal jurisdiction over a case : cause an abstention
federal courts should normally abstain from intervening in pending court-martial proceedingsHamdan v. Rumsfeld, 548 U.S. 557 (2006)

More from Merriam-Webster on abstain

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