Abstinence
Etymology
From Latin "abstinere" (to hold back), from "abs-" (away) and "tenere" (to hold). The image is of holding oneself away from something within reach — restraint as an active grip, not a passive lack of appetite.
noun · /AB-stih-nunss/
The deliberate refraining from a pleasure or indulgence, especially food, drink, or sex.
What it names
Total refusal as a chosen practice, distinct from mere moderation — you are either abstaining or you are not.
Example
His abstinence from alcohol was absolute; one drink, he knew, was a threshold he couldn’t safely cross.
Related idea
Abstinence is complete refusal; temperance is moderate, self-governed use — the temperate drinker has two glasses, the abstinent one has none.
See also