The church teaches abstinence before marriage.
Source: tatoeba (2337336)
Abstinence
/ˈæb.stɪ.nəns/
Synonyms for "abstinence" (150 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (30)
abnegationabstainmentabstemiousnessabstentionabstinence from foodalbigensianismanchoritic monasticismanchoritismasceticismausterityavoidancebanyan daycalmcalmnesscatharismcelibacychastityconservatismconstraintcontinence
Show 2 more words
Adjective(1 words)
Strong matches (45)
cooldesuetudedispassiondisuseencratismeremitismeschewalevennessfastfastingfish dayflagellationfranciscanismfridayfruitarianismgentlenessgolden meangymnosophyhappy mediumimpartiality
Show 21 more words
Noun(3 words)
Verb(1 words)
Related words (75)
Determiner(1 words)
no food
nonemploymentnonprevalencenonusenonviolencenothing in excessobsolescenceobsoletenessobsoletionobsoletismpacifismpensioning offplain livingplatonic loveprudencepunishment of tantaluspuritanismpythagoreanismpythagorismrechabitismrefraining
Show 42 more words
refrainmentrenunciationreposerestraintrestriction of intakeretirementrigorsabbatarianismself-abnegationself-controlself-denialself-mortificationself-restraintserenitysexual abstinenceshakerismsimple dietsobrietyspare dietspartan farestabilitystarvationsteadinessstoicismsuperannuationteetotalismtemperancetemperatenessthe pledgetotal abstinencetranquillitytrappismunexcessivenessunextravaganceunextremenessunprevalencevegetarianismvia mediavirginityvoluntary povertywaldensianismyoga
Noun(11 words)
not usingquittingrefrainsself-controlself-denialsobernesssobrietyteetotalismtemperancevow of celibacyzero consumption
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abnegation, abstaining, abstainment, abstemiousness, abstention.
- Sentence evidence is available for abstinence, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, wordnet, opengloss, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "abstinence".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "abstinence"
Keep "abstinence" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "abstinence" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "abstinence", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "abstinence" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
8 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
6 entriesabstinence educationabstinence from alcoholabstinence periodabstinence policyabstinence programsexual abstinence
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
6 entriesTranslations
62 translations across 27 languages.
Albanian
1 entries- përkore noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Bulgarian
2 entries- въздържание noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- трезвеност noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
Catalan
1 entries- abstinència noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Dutch
4 entries- abstinentie noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
- alcoholonthouding noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
- geheelonthouding noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
- onthouding noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Esperanto
1 entries- abstinado noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Estonian
1 entries- karskus noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
Finnish
4 entries- pidättyminen noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- pidättyvyys noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- raittius noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
- täysraittius noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
French
2 entries- abstinence noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- abstinence noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
German
3 entries- Abstinenz noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- Abstinenz noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
- Enthaltsamkeit noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Greek
1 entries- εγκράτεια noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Ido
1 entries- abstinenco noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Interlingua
1 entries- abstinentia noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Irish
2 entries- abstanaid noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- lánstaonadh noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
Italian
3 entries- astemìa noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- astinenza noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- astinenza noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
Latin
1 entries- abstinentia noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Lingala
1 entries- ekila noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Mongo
1 entries- ekila noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Norwegian Bokmål
4 entries- abstinens noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- abstinens noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
- avhold noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- avhold noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
Old English
3 entries- forhæfednes noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- sȳfernes noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- sȳfernes noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
Polish
3 entries- abstynencja noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- abstynencja noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
- wstrzemięźliwość noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Portuguese
2 entries- abstinência noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- abstinência noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
Romanian
1 entries- abstinență noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Russian
4 entries- абстине́нция noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
- воздержа́ние noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- воздержа́ние noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
- тре́звенность noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- samoodricanje noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- trezvenjaštvo noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- trezvenost noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- umerenost noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Spanish
3 entries- abstinencia noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- abstinencia noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
- vigilia noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Swedish
2 entries- absolutism noun (specifically, abstinence from alcohol)
- avhållsamhet noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Tagalog
2 entries- ngilin noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
- pangilin noun (the act or practice of abstaining)
Sample sentences
16 total sentences available.
No one has the right to preach abstinence.
Source: tatoeba (3390210)
They advocate complete abstinence.
Source: tatoeba (5130709)
The General Court of Massachusetts followed the example of the English Parliament in 1659 when it enacted that ' anybody who is found observing, by abstinence from labor, feasting, or any other way, any such day as Christmas day, shall pay for every such offense five shillings.'
Source: tatoeba (5681813)
Showing 4 of 16 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "abstinence"?
Closest matches include abnegation, abstaining, abstainment, abstemiousness, abstention.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "abstinence"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.