Abstemiously

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /æbˈsti.mi.əs.li/

Definitions

1. Marked by a disciplined approach to consumption that prioritizes moderation over excess
2. Defined by a lifestyle that emphasizes moderation in indulgence and consumption habits
3. In a way that involves strict avoidance of excess, especially in eating or drinking

Etymology: Abstemiously is an adverb built from "abstemious" plus the suffix "-ly," so the real story sits in the adjective it modifies. The suffix comes from Old English "-līce," which turned adjectives into adverbs describing the manner of an action, and it is the same ending that has been attached to countless English adjectives over the centuries. The adjective behind it, "abstemious," describes a person who restrains themselves from food and drink, especially from alcohol. Its roots go back to Latin, where "abstemius" combined "abs," meaning "away" or "from," with a stem linked to "temetum," an old word for strong alcoholic drink. So the word's core idea is literally keeping away from intoxicating liquor, before it broadened to cover restraint in eating and other pleasures. The modern sense of the adverb therefore carries that original sense of holding back. A person who lives or eats abstemiously is not merely cutting back but deliberately declining the indulgences that others enjoy.

Synonyms: moderately, temperately, restrainedly

Antonyms: gluttonously, excessively