Adjacent Words

Abstain definitions

	Tweet

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ABSTA'IN, v.i. [L. abstineo, to keep from; abs and teneo, to hold. See Tenant.]
In a general sense, to forbear, or refrain from, voluntarily; but used chiefly to denote a restraint upon the passions or appetites; to refrain from indulgence.
Abstain from meats offered to idols. Acts 15.
To abstain from the use of ardent spirits; to abstain from luxuries.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: refrain from voting
2: choose not to consume; "I abstain from alcohol" [syn: abstain, refrain, desist] [ant: consume, have, ingest, take, take in]

Merriam Webster's

intransitive verb Etymology: Middle English absteinen, from Anglo-French asteign-, absteign-, stem of astenir, abstenir, from Latin abstin?re, from abs-, ab- + ten?re to hold — more at thin Date: 14th century to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice <abstain from drinking> • abstainer noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.intr. 1 a (usu. foll. by from) restrain oneself; refrain from indulging in (abstained from cakes and sweets; abstained from mentioning it). b refrain from drinking alcohol. 2 formally decline to use one's vote. Derivatives: abstainer n. Etymology: ME f. AF astener f. OF abstenir f. L abstinere abstent- (as AB-, tenere hold)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Abstain Ab*stain", v. t. To hinder; to withhold. Whether he abstain men from marrying. --Milton.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Abstain Ab*stain", v. i. [imp. & p. p. Abstained; p. pr. & vb. n. Abstaining.] [OE. absteynen, abstenen, OF. astenir, abstenir, F. abstenir, fr. L. abstinere, abstentum, v. t. & v. i., to keep from; ab, abs + tenere to hold. See Tenable.] To hold one's self aloof; to forbear or refrain voluntarily, and especially from an indulgence of the passions or appetites; -- with from. Not a few abstained from voting. --Macaulay. Who abstains from meat that is not gaunt? --Shak. Syn: To refrain; forbear; withhold; deny one's self; give up; relinquish.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(abstains, abstaining, abstained) 1. If you abstain from something, usually something you want to do, you deliberately do not do it. (FORMAL) Abstain from sex or use condoms... Do you drink alcohol, smoke, or abstain? VERB: V from n, V 2. If you abstain during a vote, you do not use your vote. Three Conservative MPs abstained in the vote. VERB: V

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. Refrain, forbear, desist, deny one's self, hold or keep one's self back, stay one's hand, keep one's self from indulgence.

Moby Thesaurus

abnegate, abstain from, avoid, constrain, cop out, curb, decline, dispense with, do without, duck the issue, eschew, evade, evade the issue, forbear, forgo, hold, hold aloof from, hold back, hold off, keep, keep back, keep from, keep in hand, let alone, let go by, never touch, not touch, not use, pass up, refrain, refrain from, refuse, reject, reserve, save, shun, sit it out, spare, spurn, stand aloof from, stand neuter, straddle, trim, waive, withhold