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What is the difference between abstinence and abstemious?

abstinence | abstemious |

As a noun abstinence

is the act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.

As an adjective abstemious is

sparing in diet; refraining from a free use of food and strong drinks; temperate; abstinent; sparing in the indulgence of the appetite or passions.

abstinence

English

(wikipedia abstinence)

Alternative forms

* abstinency

Noun

(-)
  • The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.
    • Penance, fasts, and abstinence , / To punish bodies for the soul's offense. -
    The abstinence from a present pleasure that offers itself is a pain, nay, oftentimes, a very great one. —
    Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation. —
  • # Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating/alcoholic beverages; total abstinence; teetotalism).
  • # Specifically, the practice of abstaining from sexual intercourse, either permanently or until marriage.
  • # (ecclesiastical) Abstention from certain foods on days of penitential observance.
  • The practice of self-denial; self-restraint; forebearance from anything.
  • (obsolete) Self-denial; abstaining; or forebearance of anything.
  • (business) Delay of spending to accrue capital.

    • See also

    * abstention * continence * asexual

    References

    * ----

    abstemious

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Sparing in diet; refraining from a free use of food and strong drinks; temperate; abstinent; sparing in the indulgence of the appetite or passions.
  • * Instances of longevity are chiefly among the abstemious - .
  • * Under his special eye Abstemious I grew up and thrived amain. -
  • * 1919 ,
    • In the dimness of the landing I could not see him very well, but there was something in his voice that surprised me. I knew he was of abstemious habit or I should have thought he had been drinking.
  • Sparingly used; used with temperance or moderation.
  • * an abstemious diet -
  • Marked by, or spent in, abstinence; as, an abstemious life.
  • * One abstemious day. -
  • * 1826 , , Chapter 5
    • [...] when I, abstemious naturally, and rendered so by the fever that preyed on me, was forced to recruit myself with food.
  • (rare) Promotive of abstemiousness.
  • * Such is the virtue of the abstemious well. -
    • * (English Citations of "abstemious")

    Synonyms

    abstentious, abstinent, continent, self-abnegating, self-denying, sober, temperate

    Derived terms

    * abstemiousness * unabstemious

    References

    English words that use all vowels in alphabetical order