abstain
verb
ab·stain
| \ əb-ˈstān
, ab-\
, ab-\
abstained;
abstaining;
abstains
Definition of abstain
1
: to choose not to do or have something : to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice
abstain from drinking
2
: to choose not to vote
Ten members voted for the proposal, six members voted against it, and two abstained.
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Examples of abstain in a Sentence
Ten members voted for the proposal, six members voted against it, and two abstained.
Recent Examples on the Web
The resolution passed by a vote of 87 in favor, 29 against and 25 abstaining. — Washington Post, "Countries agree to limit sales of elephants to zoos," 27 Aug. 2019 Since Dowdle abstained from voting, it was recorded as a negative vote, according to the city charter. — Roy Kent, Houston Chronicle, "THIS WEEK: City Council expected to address divisive mayor pro tem issue again," 21 July 2019 The ordinance passed 6-0-1, with District 3 Councilwoman Denise Brown abstaining. — USA TODAY, "Saving whales, Manson murder house: News from around our 50 states," 17 July 2019 The board urged shareholders to vote against the Amnesty International proposal, though Brin abstained from voting. — Klint Finley, WIRED, "Google's Troubles Encroach on Alphabet's Shareholder Meeting," 19 June 2019 The March of Dimes also notes multiple pregnancies (of twins, triplets, or more) might also be a reason to abstain, as well as having had miscarriages in the past. — Kaitlin Stanford, Woman's Day, "How to Safely Have Sex During Pregnancy," 18 Apr. 2019 Booming plant business While abstaining from animal products was practiced in ancient societies such as Greece and India, the word vegan is traced to 1944, when the U.K. Vegan Society was founded. — Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor, "Pass the tofu: How eating vegan became a billion-dollar business," 29 Mar. 2019 But observers will be looking to see how many delegates abstain from voting as an indication of resistance within the political establishment. — Austin Ramzy, BostonGlobe.com, "Hong Kong’s democracy movement fears new setback in legislative vote," 10 Mar. 2018 But the agency abstained from pursuing even greater punishments like a substantially larger fine and finding CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally liable. — Makena Kelly, The Verge, "FTC hits Facebook with $5 billion fine and new privacy checks," 24 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'abstain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for abstain
abstain
verb
ab·stain
| \ əb-ˈstān
\
\
abstained;
abstaining
Kids Definition of abstain
: to choose not to do or have something
abstain from voting
abstain
intransitive verb
ab·stain
| \ əb-ˈstān, ab-
\
\
Medical Definition of abstain
: to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice (as consumption of a food or a drug or indulgence in sexual intercourse)
abstain
intransitive verb
ab·stain
| \ əb-ˈstān, ab-
\
\
Legal Definition of abstain
: to refrain from exercising federal jurisdiction over a case : cause an abstention
federal courts should normally abstain from intervening in pending court-martial proceedings — Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, 548 U.S. 557 (2006)
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