abstain

English

Etymology

First attested around 1380. From Middle English absteynen, absteinen, abstenen, from Old French astenir, abstenir, from Latin abstineō (“to hold oneself back”) from abs- (“from”) + teneō (“I hold”). See also tenable.

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əbˈsteɪn/
  • (US) IPA(key): /əbˈsteɪn/, /æbˈsteɪn/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪn

Verb

abstain (third-person singular simple present abstains, present participle abstaining, simple past and past participle abstained)

  1. (transitive, reflexive, obsolete) Keep or withhold oneself. [Attested from around 1350 to 1470 until the mid 16th century.][1]
  2. (intransitive) Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]
    In order to improve his health, Rob decided to abstain from smoking.
    • 22 May 1948, United Nations, Security Council Resolution 49
      The Security Council […] calls upon all Governments and authorities, without prejudice to the rights, claims or positions of the parties concerned, to abstain from any hostile military action in Palestine and to that end to issue a cease-fire order to their military and paramilitary forces
    • 1597, Shakespeare, Richard II, II-i:
      Who abstains from meat that is not gaunt?
  3. (intransitive, obsolete) Fast (not eat for a period). [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]
  4. (intransitive) Deliberately refrain from casting one's vote at a meeting where one is present. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]
    • 1913, Thomas Babington Macaulay, A Short History of English Liberalism:
      […] forcing a small portion of the population to abstain from voting
    I abstain from this vote, as I have no particular preference.
  5. (transitive, obsolete) Hinder; keep back; withhold. [Attested from the early 16th century until the mid 17th century.][1]
    • 1645, John Milton, Tetrachordon: Expositions on the four chief places in Scripture:
      Whether he abstain men from marying [sic].

Usage notes
  • (keep or withhold oneself): Followed by the word from or of.
  • (refrain from something): Followed by the word from.

Conjugation
Conjugation of abstain
infinitive (to) abstain
present tense past tense
1st-person singular abstain abstained
2nd-person singular abstain, abstainest† abstained, abstainedst†
3rd-person singular abstains, abstaineth† abstained
plural abstain
subjunctive abstain abstained
imperative abstain —
participles abstaining abstained

†Archaic or obsolete.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

References
  1. Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abstain”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 9.

Anagrams

Indonesian

Etymology

From English abstain, from Middle English absteynen, absteinen, abstenen, from Old French astenir, abstenir, from Latin abstineō (“to hold oneself back”) from abs- (“from”) + teneō (“I hold”).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ap̚stain/
  • Hyphenation: ab‧stain

Verb

abstain

  1. to abstain:
    1. (politics) to deliberately refrain from casting one's vote at a meeting where one is present.
    2. (medicine) to refrain from (something or doing something), to fast.
      Synonym: puasa

Further reading
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