Abstainer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /æbˈsteɪ.nɚ/

Definitions

1. An individual who deliberately avoids certain behaviors or substances, often for personal, health, or moral reasons
2. A person who opts out of specific activities or habits, frequently due to ethical beliefs or health considerations
3. A person who refrains from engaging in specified activities or practices, typically based on principles or health concerns

Etymology: "Abstainer" is a plain English formation: it combines "abstain," which comes from Latin "abstinere" ("to hold back" or "keep away from," built from "ab-" meaning "away" and "tenere" meaning "to hold"), with the suffix "-er," which marks a person who does something. The word came into English through Middle English "absteyner," and the structure shows its job plainly: an abstainer is someone who holds back from a thing. The verb it grows from carries the same physical image of holding something at a distance. Latin speakers used "abstinere" for keeping one's hand off something, and the English verb took on the sense of voluntarily refraining, especially from food, drink or pleasures. The noun simply names the person who does this, so the word's history is mostly the history of its verb, with the suffix adding the idea of the person.

Synonyms: non-drinker, teetotaler

Antonyms: drinker