abstinent

adjective

Definition of abstinentnext
as in ascetic
given to or marked by restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites grew up in a family where abstinent behavior was expected and self-indulgence of any kind was scorned and castigated

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abstinent The body of research on non-abstinent recovery has been growing as well. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026 Not everybody needs to spend the rest of their life totally abstinent with a cup of shitty coffee in a Styrofoam cup regurgitating platitudes. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026 One of the sacrifices Dolan mentioned in his speech was staying abstinent. — Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2026 Like Ash Wednesday, Good Friday is a day where Catholics are obliged to fast and stay abstinent throughout the day until midnight. — Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Apr. 2026 At the end of six months, those who had taken just one dose of psilocybin had more than six times greater odds of being abstinent from cigarettes than their counterparts who relied on the nicotine substitute. — Will Stone, NPR, 10 Mar. 2026 Some people want to remain abstinent to focus on their own personal growth, while others have resorted to it after becoming frustrated with today's dating culture. — Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025 Ivan Neville has been on a few times and always talks being abstinent. — Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025 As a purist, Murray defines sobriety as being completely abstinent from habit-forming substances that could cause dependency, including prescription drugs like Xanax and Suboxone. — Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstinent
  1. ascetic
  2. abstemious
  3. temperate
  4. sober
Adjective
  • And there were posters tearing apart his otherworldly self-projection as a fakir, or ascetic, depicting him in his monogrammed suits, designer sunglasses, and aircraft.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Then, over the following years, came sustainability and strict reuse and ascetic renunciation, and today, finally, its photo series and articles advocated for a mild, slightly quirky anticapitalist metaphysics.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 July 2026
Definition of ascetic
Adjective
  • Lunchtimes are more abstemious with avocado and tuna packed poke bowls and watermelon salad at the W lounge.
    — Jemima Sissons, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
  • His first term now looks practically abstemious.
    — Erin Neil, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
Definition of abstemious
Adjective
  • No other environments in the solar system share the temperate environment of Earth — there's either too much heat or too much cold, too much radiation or not enough light, too much acidity or toxic materials.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The lake creates a temperate microclimate that sustains one of the country’s most productive fruit-growing regions—and makes this the best possible place to forget a packed lunch.
    — Mike Norton, Midwest Living, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of temperate
Adjective
  • Now, his parents are reportedly considering legal action against the rehab center and the sober coach who allegedly brought him to there and left.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Visitors to the Subreddit have asked for (and received) recommendations for weird girl books about reconnecting with sisters, weird girl books for the newly sober, weird girl books about breakups and weird girl books set in South Carolina.
    — Abby McCarter, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of sober

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Cite this Entry

“Abstinent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstinent. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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