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Webster 1913 Edition

Abstain

Ab-stain′

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Abstained
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Abstaining
.]
[OE.
absteynen
,
abstenen
, OF.
astenir
,
abstenir
, F.
abstenir
, fr. L.
abstinere
,
abstentum
, v. t. & v. i., to keep from;
ab
,
abs
+
tenere
to hold. See
Tenable
.]
To hold one’s self aloof; to forbear or refrain voluntarily, and especially from an indulgence of the passions or appetites; – with from.
Not a few
abstained
from voting.
Macaulay.
Who
abstains
from meat that is not gaunt?
Shakespeare
Syn. – To refrain; forbear; withhold; deny one's self; give up; relinquish.

Ab-stain′

,
Verb.
T.
To hinder; to withhold.
Whether he
abstain
men from marrying.
Milton.

Webster 1828 Edition

Abstain

ABSTA'IN

,
Verb.
I.
[L. abstineo, to keep from; abs and teneo, to hold. See Tenant.]
In a general sense, to forbear, or refrain from, voluntarily; but used chiefly to denote a restraint upon the passions or appetites; to refrain from indulgence.
Abstain from meats offered to idols. Acts, xv.
To abstain from the use of ardent spirits; to abstain from luxuries.

Definition 2024

abstain

abstain

English

Verb

abstain ‎(third-person singular simple present abstains, present participle abstaining, simple past and past participle abstained)

  1. (transitive, reflexive, obsolete) Keep or withhold oneself. [Attested from around 1350 to 1470 until the mid 16th century.][1]
  2. (intransitive) Refrain from (something); hold one's self aloof; to forbear or keep from doing, especially an indulgence of the passions or appetites. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]
    • (Can we date this quote?), Shakespeare, Richard II, II-i:
      Who abstains from meat that is not gaunt?
  3. (intransitive, obsolete) Fast. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]
  4. (intransitive) Deliberately refrain from casting one's vote at a meeting where one is present. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.][1]
    • (Can we date this quote?), Thomas Babington Macaulay, (Please provide the title of the work):
      Not a few abstained from voting.
  5. (transitive, obsolete) Hinder; keep back; withhold. [Attested from the early 16th century until the mid 17th century.][1]
    • (Can we date this quote?), John Milton, (Please provide the title of the work):
      Whether he abstain men from marying [sic].

Usage notes

  • (keep or withhold oneself): Followed by the word from or of.
  • (refrain from something): Followed by the word from.

Conjugation

Synonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Lesley Brown (editor), The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, 5th edition (Oxford University Press, 2003 [1933], ISBN 978-0-19-860575-7), page 9

Anagrams

Etymology

First attested around 1380. From Middle English abstene, absteine, absteynen, absteinen, abstenen, from Old French astenir, abstenir, from Latin abstineō ‎(“to hold oneself back”) from abs- ‎(“from”) + (tineō ‎(“hold”), from teneō ‎(“I hold”)). See also tenable.

Pronunciation

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