abstinence
abstinence
noun
/ˈæbstɪnəns/
uncountable (formal)
​abstinence (from something) the practice of not allowing yourself something, especially food, alcoholic drinks or sex, for moral, religious or health reasons
total abstinence from strong drink
SEE ALSO abstain
TOPICS Cooking and eating C2
Collocations
noun
pledge
Word Origin
Middle English: from Old French, from Latin abstinentia, from the verb abstinere, from ab- ‘from’ + tenere ‘hold’.