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to abstain
01
to avoid doing something, especially something that one enjoys
Transitive: to abstain from sth
Grammatical Information
Composition
Simple
Action verb
Regular
Present tense
abstain
3rd person singular
abstains
Present participle
abstaining
Past simple
abstained
Past participle
abstained
Examples
They regularly abstain from consuming alcohol for personal reasons.
02
to choose not to vote on a particular matter, issue, or proposal
Intransitive
Examples
During the shareholder meeting, several investors abstained, expressing their uncertainty about the company's proposed merger.
Lexical Tree
abstainer
abstemious
abstinence
abstain
