abstinence

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Americans remain among the world’s leaders in per capita meat consumption, and even our vegetarians tend to abandon their abstinence sooner or later.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

It concludes a 40-day period known as Lent, during which Christians focus on prayer, almsgiving, and practice traditions such as abstinence from eating meat on certain days.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Even when I was studying medicine or selling knives door-to-door in Maryland or teaching about abstinence in Mississippi or rallying and pushing kids about the importance of education here and there.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2025

"Dead people can't recover, and overwhelmingly the research shows that there's no opposition between harm reduction and abstinence goals."

From Salon • May 24, 2025

Fifteen minutes later, noticing that the supply of hot dogs in the little well was visibly diminishing, he decided in favor of abstinence for the moment.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole