Wiktionary

abstain

English

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Etymology

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    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 (“to hold”). See also tenable.

    Pronunciation

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    Verb

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    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.
      • 1597, Shakespeare, Richard II, II-i:
        Who abstains from meat that is not gaunt?
      • 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
      1. To refrain from drinking alcohol.
        • 1913, Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes, The Lodger:
          … she had made Bunting abstain very early in their acquaintance. … Glad she was now that he had taken the pledge as a younger man; but for that nothing would have kept him from the drink during the bad times they had gone through.
    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]
      I abstain from this vote, as I have no particular preference.
      • 1913, Thomas Babington Macaulay, A Short History of English Liberalism:
        […] forcing a small portion of the population to abstain from voting
    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

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

    Conjugation

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    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

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    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    References

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    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 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

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    Indonesian

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    Etymology

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    From English abstain.

    Pronunciation

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    Verb

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    abstain

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

    Alternative forms

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    Derived terms

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    Further reading

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