| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| abstention |
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| SYLLABICATION: | ab·sten·tion |
| PRONUNCIATION: |   b-st n sh n, b- |
| NOUN: | 1. The act or habit of deliberate self-denial. 2. An abstaining vote or voter: 12 ayes, 10 nays, and 8 abstentions. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Late Latin abstenti , abstentin-, from abstentus, past participle of Latin abstin re, to hold back. See abstain.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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