- forbearance, especially habitual forbearance as a lifestyle choice, from any indulgence of a particular appetite, such as from sex or from the use of alcoholic beverages: The program promotes sexual abstinence for teens, but also provides information on contraception in case they become sexually active.
- any self-restraint, self-denial, or forbearance.
- the act of abstaining for any length of time from a substance or activity to which one has become addicted, but without actually dealing with the root causes of dependency: Abstinence addresses the symptoms of addiction, while sobriety has deeper mental and emotional dimensions.
- the act of abstaining from a particular substance or activity as a spiritual discipline, as during Lent or some other period of religious fasting or self-denial: At one time Lenten abstinence from meat was stricter than it is today.
- the conserving of current income in order to build up capital or savings.
- the act or practice of refraining from some action or from the use of something, esp alcohol
- the practice of refraining from specific kinds of food or drink, esp from meat, as an act of penance
