How to Use abstinence in a Sentence

abstinence

noun
  • The program promoted sexual abstinence for young people.
  • This is higher than any other birth control method except abstinence.
    Claire Gillespie, Health, 19 June 2024
  • On one hand, my faith teaches me that abstinence is a virtue, a testament to my dedication to God.
    Hena Bryan, refinery29.com, 11 Sep. 2024
  • That state of affairs has diluted asceticism from the actual, if difficult, rejection of indulgence into a fetish for that abstinence.
    Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2024
  • The 44-year-old had gained weight since her arrest and forced abstinence from drugs.
    Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024
  • As a girl, Mack said she was taught to value modesty and even signed an abstinence pledge in the sixth grade.
    NBC News, 18 Nov. 2020
  • So what happens in the body during this month of abstinence?
    Brittany Bowker, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Jan. 2023
  • The good news is that C.H.S. has a pretty simple cure: abstinence.
    Roni Caryn Rabin, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2018
  • The author argues in favor of abstinence, which is what is taught by law in Utah schools.
    Courtney Tanner, The Salt Lake Tribune, 2 Aug. 2022
  • In 2015, the FDA dropped the lifetime ban and replaced it with a one-year abstinence requirement.
    CBS News, 27 Jan. 2023
  • This leaves a lot of people behind for whom abstinence just doesn’t work.
    Laura Newberry, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2023
  • Once in the system, cannabis abstinence is enforced through urine tests.
    Chris Goldstein, Philly.com, 16 Feb. 2018
  • The authors tried to control for factors like age and abstinence time.
    Evan Bush, NBC News, 17 Nov. 2022
  • On Thursday, the FDA shortened the window of abstinence even further, to three months.
    TheWeek, 2 Apr. 2020
  • Even a short period of abstinence can help your brain bounce back.
    Rebecca Joy Stanborough, SELF, 12 Jan. 2022
  • Seizures are by far the most feared side effect of sudden abstinence from benzos.
    Lindsay Beyerstein, The New Republic, 10 Mar. 2020
  • In the Catholic Church, abstinence in this context means abstaining from meat.
    Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 14 Oct. 2023
  • In 1988, the litmus tests included abstinence and prayer in school.
    M.l. Elrick, Detroit Free Press, 24 Apr. 2022
  • The periods of abstinence last about as long as his benders last.
    Diana Spechler, Longreads, 28 Oct. 2017
  • That’s why some bishops are waiving abstinence from meat on St. Patrick’s Day.
    Alejandra Molina, Orange County Register, 1 Mar. 2017
  • To May, abstinence is not the answer to teens’ problems with social media.
    Eli Joseph, Fortune, 4 June 2024
  • And for those trying to use the period of Lenten abstinence to kick an alcohol habit, Ochsner has a program to help.
    NOLA.com, 8 Feb. 2021
  • Other times, it's assumed to be a choice, like abstinence or celibacy.
    Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY, 21 Feb. 2023
  • The drug, ibudilast, didn’t help meth users improve abstinence, as compared to a placebo.
    Bradley J. Fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, 30 Mar. 2018
  • Through it all — even after her boyfriend moved back to Missouri — Bree maintained her abstinence.
    Dallas News, 3 Feb. 2023
  • The only treatment for this, Berliner told the woman, was abstinence.
    Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 16 Nov. 2022
  • There is no meat on the altars, because St. Joseph’s Day falls during the Lenten season, a time of abstinence and reflection.
    Ann Maloney, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2023
  • There are lots of cheerful green emojis on there, but their souls are black: content with living in bleak abstinence.
    Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 4 Jan. 2024
  • Known as neonatal abstinence syndrome, the symptoms vary from a high-pitched cry to muscles so tight some babies can be as stiff as a board.
    Claudia Buck, sacbee.com, 18 May 2017
  • That means that abstinence is taught as the only foolproof way to avoid pregnancy and disease.
    Molly Harbarger, OregonLive.com, 8 June 2018

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

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