Adjacent Words

Temperance definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TEM'PERANCE, n. [L. temperantia, from tempero.]
1. Moderation; particularly, habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence; as temperance in eating and drinking; temperance in the indulgence of joy or mirth. Temperance in eating and drinking is opposed to gluttony and drunkenness, and in other indulgences, to excess.
2. Patience; calmness; sedateness; moderation of passion.
He calm'd his wrath with goodly temperance. [Unusual.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the trait of avoiding excesses [syn: temperance, moderation] [ant: intemperance]
2: abstaining from excess [syn: sobriety, temperance]
3: the act of tempering

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin temperantia, from temperant-, temperans, present participle of temperare to moderate, be moderate Date: 14th century 1. moderation in action, thought, or feeling ; restraint 2. a. habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions b. moderation in or abstinence from the use of alcoholic beverages

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 moderation or self-restraint esp. in eating and drinking. 2 a total or partial abstinence from alcoholic drink. b (attrib.) advocating or concerned with abstinence. Etymology: ME f. AF temperaunce f. L temperantia (as TEMPER)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Temperance Tem"per*ance, n. [L. temperantia: cf. F. temp['e]rance. See Temper, v. t.] 1. Habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence; moderation; as, temperance in eating and drinking; temperance in the indulgence of joy or mirth; specifically, moderation, and sometimes abstinence, in respect to using intoxicating liquors. 2. Moderation of passion; patience; calmness; sedateness. [R.] ``A gentleman of all temperance.'' --Shak. He calmed his wrath with goodly temperance. --Spenser. 3. State with regard to heat or cold; temperature. [Obs.] ``Tender and delicate temperance.'' --Shak. Temperance society, an association formed for the purpose of diminishing or stopping the use of alcoholic liquors as a beverage.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. If you believe in temperance, you disapprove of drinking alcohol. ...a reformed alcoholic extolling the joys of temperance. 2. A person who shows temperance has a strong mind and does not eat too much, drink too much, or do too much of anything. (FORMAL) The age of hedonism is being ushered out by a new era of temperance. = moderation

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Moderation, sobriety, soberness, self-control. 2. (Rare.) Patience, calmness, sedateness, contentment, moderation.

Moby Thesaurus

Rechabitism, abnegation, abstemiousness, abstinence, asceticism, austerity, calm, calmness, cardinal virtues, charity, conservatism, constraint, continence, control, cool, dispassion, eschewal, evenness, faith, forbearance, forgoing, fortitude, gentleness, golden mean, gravity, happy medium, hope, impartiality, judiciousness, juste-milieu, justice, lenity, love, measure, meden agan, middle way, mildness, moderateness, moderation, moderationism, mortification, natural virtues, neutrality, nonviolence, nothing in excess, pacifism, prohibition, prudence, reasonableness, refrainment, repose, restraint, sacrifice, sedateness, self-abnegation, self-control, self-denial, self-discipline, self-restraint, serenity, seriousness, sober-mindedness, soberness, sobersidedness, sobersides, sobriety, solemnity, stability, staidness, steadiness, supernatural virtues, teetotalism, temperateness, theological virtues, tranquillity, undrunkenness, unexcessiveness, unextravagance, unextremeness, uninebriatedness, unintoxicatedness, via media