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abstinence

noun [U]
 
 
/ˈæb.stɪ.nəns/ formal

Definition

not doing something, such as drinking alcohol or having sex: The best way to avoid pregnancy is total abstinence from sex.Abstaining and refraining abstinent
 
 
/-nənt/ adjective
sexually abstinentAbstaining and refraining
(Definition of abstinence noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
Focus on the pronunciation of abstinence