Origin: Latin suffix -ence
Abstinence has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
the trait of abstaining (especially from alcohol)
"After years of heavy drinking, Tom finally embraced abstinence and found his life improved without a single drop of alcohol."
act or practice of refraining from indulging an appetite
"After recovering from his illness, he decided to take a period of abstinence from sugar to reset his palate."
The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite. Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation. St Augustine
"The monk's daily life was defined by his strict abstinence from all forms of meat and alcohol during the Lenten season."
Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating/alcoholic beverages; total abstinence; teetotalism).
"After years of heavy drinking, he finally committed to a lifetime of abstinence and joined a local support group for recovering alcoholics."
The word comes from the Latin abstinentia, meaning "the act of withholding." It entered English through Old French and is built on the root of the verb abstain.