abstain
/əbˈsteɪn/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.07 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence.
Intransitive verb
verb
Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence.
Intransitive verb
verb
Deliberately refrain from casting one's vote at a meeting where one is present.
Intransitive verb
Example Sentences
- "In order to improve his health, Rob decided to abstain from smoking."
- "Who abstains from meat that is not gaunt?"
- "The Security Council […] calls upon all Governments and authorities, without prejudice to the rights, claims or positions of the parties concerned, to abstain from any hostile military action in Palestine and to that end to issue a cease-fire order to their military and paramilitary forces"
- "… 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."
- "I abstain from this vote, as I have no particular preference."
- "[…]forcing a small portion of the population to abstain from voting"
Etymology
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /əbˈsteɪn/
- British English: /əbˈsteɪn/
Usage
Inflected Forms
abstains (present, singular)
abstaining (participle, present)
abstained (participle, past)
abstained (past)
no-table-tags (table tags)
glossary (inflection template)
abstained (first person, past)
abstainest (archaic, present)
abstained (past, second person)
abstainedst (archaic, past)
abstaineth (archaic, present)
abstained (past, singular)