What does abstentious mean?
Abstentious is a formal adjective describing someone who practices self-restraint, particularly by refraining from food, drink, or other pleasures. It derives from the Latin root tenēre ('to hold'), via abstain and abstention, and shares its lineage with words like abstinence and tenacious. An abstentious person does not merely eat moderately — they deliberately hold themselves back from indulgence, whether out of discipline, principle, or temperament. The word appears most often in literary or elevated prose describing ascetics, reformers, or people of notably disciplined habits. Its close cousin abstemious, which refers more narrowly to moderation in eating and drinking, is far more frequently used, so writers who choose abstentious often do so for precision or variety. The connotation is generally positive, suggesting admirable control rather than joyless denial.
adjectiveCharacterized by abstinence or self-restraint, especially in the avoidance of food, drink, or other indulgences.
- Given to or marked by abstinence or self-restraint, especially regarding food, drink, or bodily pleasures.
"His abstentious habits — no alcohol, no coffee, no late nights — struck his colleagues as almost monastic."
"The monks led an abstentious life, rising before dawn and eating only what was necessary."
"Even at the lavish banquet, she remained abstentious, declining wine and dessert alike."
Abstentious is what you get when you bolt '-ous' onto 'abstention' — making it the rare word that sounds like it's bragging about refusing to indulge.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of abstentious
Abstentious comes from the Latin verb abstinēre, meaning 'to hold back' or 'to refrain', formed from abs- ('away') plus tenēre ('to hold'). English derived it by adding the adjectival suffix -ous to abstention, much as pretentious was formed from pretension. It belongs to the same family as abstain, abstinence, and abstemious, all tracing back to that Latin root about holding oneself away from something.
How abstentious is actually used
A formal, somewhat rare word; 'abstemious' is considerably more common in everyday usage. Abstentious carries a neutral-to-admiring connotation of discipline rather than deprivation.
Easily confused with abstentious
Abstemious means moderate in eating and drinking specifically, while abstentious is the broader term for self-restraining or abstaining from indulgences generally.