abstinence

/'æbstinəns/

Thân thiện

A person practices abstinence by choosing a glass of water over a glass of wine at a dinner table.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The practice of restraining oneself from indulging in something, typically an appetite or desire: "Abstinence" refers to the voluntary act of refraining from consuming or engaging in something, often for health, moral, or religious reasons.
   • The quality or trait of abstaining, especially from alcohol: It can specifically denote the habit or characteristic of not drinking alcoholic beverages.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • His doctor recommended complete abstinence from sugar to improve his health.
  • The program promotes abstinence as the most effective method for preventing certain risks.
  • Her abstinence from alcohol has lasted for five years.

Advanced Usage

• "Total abstinence": The complete and permanent refraining from a substance, most commonly alcohol.
  • He practices total abstinence, so he never drinks any alcohol.
• "Periodic abstinence": Refraining for specific, often regular, periods of time (e.g., for religious observances or as a method of birth control).
  • Some religions observe days of periodic abstinence from meat.

Variants and Related Words

• Abstinent (adj): Characterized by or involving abstinence.
  • He leads an abstinent lifestyle.
• Abstainer (n): A person who abstains, especially from alcohol.
  • She is a lifelong abstainer.

Synonyms

• Temperance: Moderation or self-restraint, especially in drinking alcohol.
• Sobriety: The state of not being intoxicated; often implies a committed avoidance of alcohol.
• Self-denial: The act of refusing to satisfy one's own desires.

Related Phrases

• "Abstinence-only": A term often used in education to describe programs that advocate abstaining from sexual activity as the sole method of prevention.
  • The school implemented an abstinence-only curriculum.

Học thuật

Noun

1. act or practice of refraining from indulging an appetite
2. the trait of abstaining (especially from alcohol)

Từ đồng nghĩa

• abstention