1
as in temperance
voluntary restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
a cleric vainly preaching abstinence in a world where self-indulgence is regarded as almost a virtue
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in purity
abstention from sexual intercourse
an AIDS-prevention program that relies primarily on abstinence
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of abstinence
Prescriptions of online abstinence are nothing new, but Pressly offers a unique vision of what can be gained by stepping back from the outside world, and the screens that try to possess us.
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John Kaag, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
Savvy promoters of abstinence, the WCTU had a broad reach and employed a variety of tactics to circulate their claims about the physical maladies and social harms caused by alcohol.
—Elizabeth Marshall / Made By History, TIME, 23 Oct. 2024
If people go back to drinking heavy amounts of alcohol after the month of abstinence, these health benefits will probably go away.
—Katia Hetter, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024
Some may opt for abstinence because they're fed up with hookup culture and crave an emotional connection.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for abstinence 
John Kaag, The Atlantic, 29 Oct. 2024
Savvy promoters of abstinence, the WCTU had a broad reach and employed a variety of tactics to circulate their claims about the physical maladies and social harms caused by alcohol.
—Elizabeth Marshall / Made By History, TIME, 23 Oct. 2024
If people go back to drinking heavy amounts of alcohol after the month of abstinence, these health benefits will probably go away.
—Katia Hetter, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024
Some may opt for abstinence because they're fed up with hookup culture and crave an emotional connection.
—David Oliver, USA TODAY, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for abstinence
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstinence
Noun
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Some will ask why this temperance with blowing should be limited.Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 27 Oct. 2024
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Hartley connected his temperance and milk crusades in An Essay on Milk from 1842, arguing that milk produced in cities was impure not just because of its adulteration by contaminants like formaldehyde, but also because of its sourcing from urban swill sheds.Catherine Long, JSTOR Daily, 17 Jan. 2024
Noun
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Branding became essential to the differentiation that would earn the easy recognition and loyalty of customers, though labels about the purity of contents or lack thereof didn’t matter in this former landscape.Harmony Holiday, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024
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Many companies state that their products are 99% pure, but an independent investigation of three companies’ products from August 2023 to March 2024 found that the purity of the products were far less than promised.C. Michael White / The Conversation, Quartz, 21 Oct. 2024
Noun
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In recent times, several Black celebrities have come out to discuss their celibacy journeys.Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 12 Sep. 2024
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But for some people, choosing to put their hookups and love life on hold can be just as fulfilling—and celibacy spells are definitely having a moment.Jenna Ryu, SELF, 2 Aug. 2024
Noun
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For some, chastity devices involve orgasm denial for the duration of the month.Mikelle Street, Them, 9 Oct. 2024
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The anti-erotic Christianity that Monica professed condemned the vanity of human learning and encouraged chastity.Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
Noun
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Jimmy Kimmel accosted Dune stars Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Timothée Chalamet with the bucket, and Saturday Night Live aired a song about Marcello Hernández losing his virginity to it.Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2024
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From intrusive questions about her virginity to men twice her age discounting her work, she remained mostly posed and polite until her next studio offering: 2001’s Britney.James Dinh, Billboard, 29 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Abstinence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstinence. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
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