Synonyms & related words for abstention

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of abstention — including abstinence, abstemiousness, nephalism, teetotalism, refraining, avoidance. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to abstention

Explore words related to abstention — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include abstentionism, abstaining, abstains, abstained, abstentionist, nonparticipation, abstentious, abstinency. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for abstention

Common synonyms for abstention include abstinence, abstemiousness, nephalism, teetotalism, refraining, avoidance, continence, celibacy — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does abstention come from?

The word abstention breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: abs-, from Latin abs (“away from”); and -tent, from Latin teneo (“hold”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.