Abstention

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /É™bˈstÉ›n.ʃnÌ©/
• US

Origin

First attested in 1521. From French abstention, from Late Latin abstēntiō from Latin abstinēō ("withhold, to abstain")

Full definition of abstention

Noun

1. (obsolete) The act of restraining oneself. Attested from the early 16^th century until the med 17^th century.

1. The act of abstaining; a holding aloof; refraining from. First attested in the early 17^th century.
2. The act of declining to vote on a particular issue. First attested in the late 19^th century.
3. Non-participation in the political world; as a country avoiding international affairs.