Abstained

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have chosen not to partake in a specific activity or action To have intentionally decided against voting or sharing an opinion in a discussion To have refrained from engaging in certain behaviors or actions deliberately
2. Decided not to join or take part in an event or activity ; deliberately did not cast a vote or express a choice in a decision-making process ; consciously avoided particular acts or habits
3. Opted out of involvement in something happening ; withheld a vote or opinion during a formal or informal vote ; intentionally stayed away from specific behaviors or practices

Etymology: "Abstained" is the past tense of "abstain", so the story belongs to the verb itself. Its core idea is literal: Latin "abstineō" combined "abs-", meaning "from", with "teneō", "to hold", giving "to hold oneself back". The same "teneō" root sits behind "tenable", the sense of something that can be held or defended, so the two words are related through that shared sense of holding. The verb reached English in the 1300s, first attested around 1380, after passing into Old French as "astenir" and "abstenir". Its early English forms, such as "absteynen" and "abstenen", show the word settling in gradually before the modern spelling took shape. The meaning stayed close to the Latin: a person restrains themselves from something, most often food, drink, or pleasure.

Synonyms: refrained, withheld, forbore

Antonyms: indulged, participated, engaged