ABSTENTION Meaning of ABSTENTION in English [ əb'stɛnʃ(ə)n ]■ noun1》 an instance of abstaining from a vote. 2》 abstinence.Derivatives~ism noun OriginC16: from late L. abstentio(n-) , from abstinere (see abstain ). Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004