abstention

== English == === Etymology === First attested in 1521. Borrowed from French abstention, from Late Latin abstēntiō from Latin abstinēō (“withhold, to abstain”) === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/ (US) IPA(key): /æbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/, /əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/, /æbˈstɛn.t͡ʃn̩/, /əbˈstɛn.t͡ʃn̩/ === Noun === abstention (countable and uncountable, plural abstentions) (obsolete) The act of restraining oneself. [Attested from the early 16th century until the med 17th century.] The act of abstaining or refraining (from). [First attested in the early 17th century.] The act of declining to vote on a particular issue. [First attested in the late 19th century.] Non-participation in the political world; as a country avoiding international affairs. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== abstinence === References === Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “abstention”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 9. == French == === Etymology === Borrowed from Late Latin abstentiōnem, from Latin abstentus, from abstineō. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ap.stɑ̃.sjɔ̃/ === Noun === abstention f (plural abstentions) abstention ==== Related terms ==== abstenir abstinence ==== Descendants ==== → English: abstention === Further reading === “abstention”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012