ab·sten·tion

(ăb-stĕn′shən, əb-)

1. The act or habit of deliberate self-denial.

2. An abstaining vote or voter: 12 ayes, 10 nays, and 8 abstentions.

[Late Latin abstentiō, abstentiōn-, from abstentus, past participle of Latin abstinēre, to hold back; see abstain.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

abstention

(əbˈstɛnʃən)

1. a voluntary decision not to act; the act of refraining or abstaining

2. (Parliamentary Procedure) the act of withholding one's vote

[C16: from Late Latin abstentiōn-, from Latin abstinēre. See abstain]

abˈstentious adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ab•sten•tion

(æbˈstɛn ʃən)

n.

an act or instance of abstaining.

[1515–25; < Late Latin abstentiō]

ab•sten′tious, adj.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

abstention - the trait of abstaining (especially from alcohol)

abstinence

self-denial, self-discipline - the trait of practicing self discipline

abstention

noun

1. abstaining, non-voting, refusal to vote Abstention is traditionally high in Columbia.

2. abstinence, refraining, avoidance, forbearance, eschewal, desistance, nonindulgence The goal is complete abstention from all mind-altering substances.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

إمْتِنَاع عَن، إمْسَاك عَن

zdržení se

afholdenheddet at afstå fra

hjáseta

avholdenhet det å avstå

abstynencja

abstenção

zdržanie sa

çekimser kalma

弃权

abstention

[əbˈstenʃən] N → abstención f
there were 20 abstentions → hubo 20 abstenciones

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

abstention

[æbˈstɛnʃ^ən] n

(= refusal to vote) → abstention f

(= person abstaining) → abstention f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

abstention

no pl (from sex, smoking etc) → Enthaltung f; (from alcohol) → Enthaltung f, → Abstinenz f

(in voting) → (Stimm)enthaltung f; were you one of the abstentions? → waren Sie einer von denen, die sich der Stimme enthalten haben?

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

abstention

[əbˈstɛnʃ/ən] n → astensione f

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

abstain

(əbˈstein) verb

(often with from) not to do, take etc. He abstained (from voting in the election); He abstained from alcohol.

abˈstention (-ˈsten-) noun

the act of abstaining. At the election of the new chairman the voting was six for, three against, and two abstentions.

abstention

n. abstinencia, abstención, privación.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

This habit of abstention from Feeling in the best society enables a Circle the more easily to sustain the veil of mystery in which, from his earliest years, he is wont to enwrap the exact nature of his Perimeter or Circumference.

View in context

His name she had obviously never used during their separation, and her dignified sense of their total severance was shown not much less by this abstention than by the hardships she had chosen to undergo (of which he now learnt for the first time) rather than apply to his father for more funds.

View in context

Continued abstention from speech, and constant avoidance of everything that might lead up to the subject- this halting on all sides at the boundary of what they might not mention- brought before their minds with still greater purity and clearness what they were both feeling.

View in context

Consistently refusing to give the promise of submission and abstention from preaching which at any time would have secured his release, he continued in prison for twelve years, not suffering particular discomfort and working for the support of his family by fastening the ends onto shoestrings.

View in context

Fine weather, good food, and a complete abstention from classical dancing--give her these and she asked no more.

View in context

In less than a week they found themselves regretting--not the new villa on the slope of Devil's Ford, which even in its own bizarre fashion was exceeded by the barbarous ostentation of the villas and private houses around them--but the double cabin under the trees, which now seemed to them almost aristocratic in its grave simplicity and abstention. In the mysterious forests of masts that thronged the city's quays they recalled the straight shafts of the pines on Devil's slopes, only to miss the sedate repose and infinite calm that used to environ them.

View in context

A total abstainer is one who abstains from everything but abstention, and especially from inactivity in the affairs of others.

View in context

For this abstention they were praised in silly public prints as illustrating in their management the principle of Thrift for which they were founded.

View in context

Because, you see, Kirylo Sidorovitch, abstention, reserve, in certain situations, come very near to political crime.

View in context

Senate Bill 2703 passed by a 6-4 vote with one abstention in the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday evening while its counterpart, Assembly Bill 4497, passed by a 6-1 vote with two abstentions at the Assembly Appropriations Committee that same day.

Recreational cannabis clears NJ Assembly, Senate committees

However, members approved the scheme by six votes to three, with one abstention.

Bid to replace barns with homes fails; in brief