ˈabztənən(t)s, -bst- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin abstinentia, from abstinent-, abstinens + -ia
1. : the act or practice of abstaining:
a. : self-restraint or self-denial with regard to hunger, pleasure, or craving
after long abstinence from the movies — Edmund Wilson
abstinence from narcotics
b. : the abstaining from certain foods (as meat) in obedience to ecclesiastical law or as a matter of religious discipline — distinguished from fast, fasting
c. : habitual abstaining from intoxicating liquors — called also total abstinence
2. : postponement of expenditure so as to accumulate capital