Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

abstention

/æbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.51 in modern English

Syllables
ab-sten-tion
IPA
/æbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/
12
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The act of restraining oneself.

Countable; Obsolete; Uncountable

noun

The act of abstaining or refraining (from).

Countable; Uncountable

noun

The act of declining to vote on a particular issue.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

Non-participation in the political world; as a country avoiding international affairs.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

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

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: abstention, abstēntiō, abstinēō

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /æbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/
  • British English: /əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/

Usage

Inflected Forms

abstentions (plural)

Derived Forms

abstentionism abstentionist abstentious nonabstention

Phrases

abstention doctrine

Frequently Paired Words

abstinence

Synonyms

abstinence

Rhymes With

intention contravention inattention circumvention

Questions

How do you pronounce abstention?
The recorded pronunciation is /æbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/.
What does abstention mean?
The act of restraining oneself.
Where does abstention come from?
It is traced to French.

How to pronounce abstention

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “abstention”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/æbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “abstention”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “abstention” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.