What does "abstain" mean?
Keep or withhold oneself.
Abstain
/əbˈsteɪn/ verb
verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Keep or withhold oneself.
- Grammar: abstain is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: refrain, desist, withhold, abjure.
- Useful contrasts: inebriated, physical action exercise, purported.
- Usage evidence: Athletes usually abstain from smoking.
How to use "abstain"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "abstain" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "abstain" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "abstain" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "abstain" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "abstain" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "refrain" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "abstain", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 Keep or withhold oneself. obsolete, reflexive, transitive
- 2 choose not to consume wordnet
- 3 Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence. intransitive
"In order to improve his health, Rob decided to abstain from smoking."
- 4 refrain from voting wordnet
- 5 Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence.; To refrain from drinking alcohol. intransitive
"… 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."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Fast (not eat for a period). intransitive, obsolete
- 7 Deliberately refrain from casting one's vote at a meeting where one is present. intransitive
"I abstain from this vote, as I have no particular preference."
- 8 Hinder; keep back; withhold. obsolete, transitive
"Whether he abstain men from marying [sic]."
Antonyms
Example
"Athletes usually abstain from smoking."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "abstain"?
Common synonyms include: refrain, desist, withhold, abjure, abnegate, abnegating.
How do you use "abstain" in a sentence?
Athletes usually abstain from smoking.
How do you pronounce "abstain"?
Pronounced /əbˈsteɪn/.
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.