Abstain
verb /əbˈsteɪn/ — To deliberately refrain from something.
Definition
To restrain oneself from doing or indulging in something, especially something enjoyable or habitual; to formally decline to vote or participate.
Beyond the definition
Abstain is a word of deliberate restraint — the conscious choice not to. It carries a quiet dignity: to abstain is to know you could, and to choose otherwise. In voting contexts it's neutral; in personal ones, it often implies either discipline or principle.
Origin & history
From Latin abstinere ('to hold back'), from abs- ('from') + tenere ('to hold'). The image is of holding yourself back from the thing in front of you.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She chose to abstain from alcohol for the month of January.
Three members of the committee abstained from the vote, citing a conflict of interest.
How to use it
This entry uses a verb. Follow the examples for tense and any objects or prepositions it needs.
Choose “Abstain” when the meaning fits your context: To restrain oneself from doing or indulging in something, especially something enjoyable or habitual; to formally decline to vote or participate.
Synonyms
refrain, desist, withhold, forbear, forgo
Antonyms
indulge, partake, participate, engage
Related words
- temperance
- restraint
- forbear
- forgo
Abstain vs refrain
Refrain means simply not doing something — you refrain from commenting, from interrupting, from swearing. Abstain carries a stronger sense of deliberate, principled restraint: a conscious choice based on discipline, ethics, or formal procedure. You abstain from alcohol during a dry month; you abstain in a vote to avoid taking a position. Refrain is the everyday verb of not-doing; abstain implies that the choice itself has significance.
Compare this word
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Choosing not to engage anymore
An adult sits calmly in a minimalist room, hands folded, choosing not to respond to a phone ringing on the desk.
By remaining still and ignoring the phone, the subject formally declines to participate in an engagement. This illustrates the power of abstaining, showing a conscious, intentional restraint from an activity that might otherwise be habitual.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Abstain" mean?
Abstain is verb meaning: To deliberately refrain from something.. To restrain oneself from doing or indulging in something, especially something enjoyable or habitual; to formally decline to vote or participate.
Where does the word "Abstain" come from?
From Latin abstinere ('to hold back'), from abs- ('from') + tenere ('to hold'). The image is of holding yourself back from the thing in front of you.