continence

English

Etymology

Dated from the 14th century as Middle English contynence, from Old French continence, from Latin continentia (“a repression”). See also countenance.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɒntɪnəns/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

Noun

continence (usually uncountable, plural continences)

1. (urology) The voluntary control of urination and defecation.
   • 2022 October 2, Cara Schacter, “My Year of Stress and Constipation”, in The New York Times‎^[1]:

     To maintain continence, the puborectalis muscle chokes the anal canal. The sling of tissue is supposed to release during defecation. Mine has not been doing that.

2. Moderation or self-restraint, especially in sexual activity; abstinence.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:continence.
   • 1700, [John] Dryden, “Preface”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     He knew what to say; he knew also, when to leave off, — a continence which is practised by few writers.

   • 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC:

     Chastity is either abstinence or continence: abstinence is that of virgins or widows; continence of married persons.

   • 1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:

     For this was a line so little frequented, especially at this hour, when the driver, the stoker, the guard and the station staffs all along the line, were anhelating towards their wives, after the long hours of continence, that the train would hardly draw up, when it would be off again, like a bouncing ball.

3. Uninterrupted course; continuity.
   • 1726, John Ayliffe, Parergon Juris Canonici Anglicani: Or, A Commentary, by Way of Supplement to the Canons and Constitutions of the Church of England. […], London: […] D. Leach, and sold by John Walthoe […], →OCLC:

     the Continence of the Cause should be divided

Alternative forms

• continency

Synonyms

• (moderation or self-restraint): asceticism, temperance
• (uninterrupted course): See also Thesaurus:continuity

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “all”): incontinence
• (antonym(s) of “moderation or self-restraint”): akrasia, acrasy, intemperance
• (antonym(s) of “uninterrupted course”): See also Thesaurus:discontinuity

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ten- (1 c, 62 e)

Translations

voluntary control of urination and defecation

• Bulgarian: задържане n (zadǎržane)
• Dutch: continentie (nl) f
• Finnish: pidättäminen (fi) (act), pidätyskyky (ability)
• Irish: coinneálacht f
• Italian: continenza (it) f
• Mizo: insumna, insumtheihna

moderation or self-restraint, especially in sexual activity; abstinence

• Bulgarian: въздържаност (bg) f (vǎzdǎržanost), умереност (bg) f (umerenost)
• Dutch: ingetogenheid (nl) f, onthouding (nl) f
• Finnish: pidättyvyys (fi)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: ἐγκράτεια f (enkráteia)

• Irish: geanmnaíocht f, measarthacht f, féinsmacht collaí m
• Italian: moderazione (it) f, astinenza (it) f, continenza (it)
• Mizo: insumtheihna
• Scottish Gaelic: féin-riaghladh m, ceannsachd f, geanasachd f, geanachd f, stuamachd f, geantachd f, geamnaidheachd f, measarrachd f, stuaim f
• Swedish: avhållsamhet (sv), återhållsamhet (sv), måttlighet (sv)
• Welsh: cymgadwriaeth f, diweirdeb (cy) m, diweirdab m, diweiredd m, ymarbed m or f, ymatal (cy) m, ymataliad m, ymataliaeth f

See also

• countenance

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “continence”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “continence”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “continence”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

French

Etymology

From Latin continentia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɔ̃.ti.nɑ̃s/

Noun

continence f (plural continences)

1. continence

Related terms

• contenance

Further reading

• “continence”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.