verb
- past tense of abstain; chose not to participate in or do something, especially something considered harmful or wrong
- past tense of abstain; chose not to vote on a particular issue or motion
Usage: political/formal contexts
Examples
- She abstained from eating meat for religious reasons.
- He abstained from drinking alcohol during his recovery.
- The senator abstained from voting on the controversial bill.
- They abstained from commenting on the ongoing investigation.
- Several committee members abstained during the final vote.
- She abstained from social media for a month to focus on her studies.