abstain

English

Etymology

From Middle English absteynen, abstenen, from Old French astenir, abstenir, from Latin abstinere, abstentum (“keep or refrain from”); from prefix from + hold. See tenable.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /əbˈsteɪn/
• Rhymes: -eɪn

Verb

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

1. (intransitive) Refrain from (something); hold one's self aloof; to forbear or keep from doing, especially an indulgence of the passions or appetites; -- with from.
2. (intransitive) To shun voluntarily.

   • Not a few abstained from voting. - Thomas Babington Macaulay
   • Who abstains from meat that is not gaunt? - Shakespeare, Richard II, II-i

3. (intransitive) Deliberately refrain from casting one's vote at a meeting where one is present.
4. (transitive) Hinder; withhold.

   • Whether he abstain men from marrying. - John Milton

Synonyms

• deny oneself
• forbear
• forgo
• give up
• refrain
• relinquish
• withhold

Derived terms

• abstention

Related terms

• abstinence

Translations

refrain from

Arabic: امتنع (ar) (imtana`a) Bulgarian: въздържам се (bg) Chinese: Mandarin: 避免 (cmn) (bìmiǎn), 戒除 (cmn) (jièchú), 棄權 (zh), 弃权 (zh) (qìquán) Czech: zdržet se Danish: afholde sig fra (da) Dutch: zich onthouden (van), abstineren (nl) Finnish: kieltäytyä (fi), pidättäytyä (fi) French: s'abstenir (fr) German: sich enthalten

Hebrew: התנזר (he) Italian: astenersi (it) Japanese: 慎む (ja) (tsutsushimu), 差し控える (ja) (sashihikaeru) Norwegian: avholde seg (no) Novial: abstina Russian: воздержаться (ru) (vozderžát'sja) (от (ot) + genitive case), (imperfective) воздерживаться (ru) (vozdérživat'sja) (от (ot) + genitive case) Slovene: vzdržati se Spanish: abstenerse (es) West Frisian: jin ôfsetten fan

refrain from voting

Czech: zdržet se Danish: afholde sig fra (da) (at stemme) Dutch: zich onthouden (van stemming) Finnish: kieltäytyä (fi) German: sich enthalten Italian: astenersi (it)

Japanese: 投票を棄権する (ja) (tōhyōo kikensuru) Novial: abstina Polish: wstrzymać się Russian: воздержаться (ru) (vozderžát'sja), (imperfective) воздерживаться (ru) (vozdérživat'sja) Spanish: abstenerse (es)

hinder, withhold

Danish: forhindre (da) Dutch: verhinderen (nl) Finnish: estää (fi) German: abhalten (de)

Novial: abstina Spanish: retener (es) West Frisian: keare, behinderje, ferhinderje

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Translations to be checked

Hebrew: להימנע (lehimana')

Anagrams

• Bastian