abstaining
/əbˈsteɪ.nɪŋ/ · ab·stain·ing
verb
- Present participle of abstain; to refrain from or avoid doing something. She is abstaining from sweets during the month of March.
noun
- The act or practice of refraining from something, especially food, drink, or indulgence. His abstaining from alcohol improved his health dramatically.
adjective
- Describing someone who is refraining from a particular activity or indulgence. The abstaining participant declined the dessert.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Did you know? In parliamentary procedure, an "abstaining" vote means a member chooses not to vote either for or against a motion, a practice dating back to the early 19th‑century British Parliament.