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Abstention

//əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The act of restraining oneself. countable, obsolete, uncountable
  2. 2
    the trait of abstaining (especially from alcohol) wordnet
  3. 3
    The act of abstaining or refraining (from). countable, uncountable

    "abstention from alcohol"

  4. 4
    The act of declining to vote on a particular issue. countable, uncountable

    "There were five abstentions in the vote."

  5. 5
    Non-participation in the political world; as a country avoiding international affairs. countable, uncountable

Etymology

First attested in 1521. Borrowed from French abstention, from Late Latin abstēntiō from Latin abstinēō (“withhold, to abstain”)

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