- present participle of abstain.
abstaining
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In his view, they can "bring young people back to politics", especially those particularly prone to abstaining from voting.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
A joint sitting of both houses of parliament on Saturday passed the bill changing the constitution, which now requires the president's signature, with 200 lawmakers voting in favour, 18 against and four abstaining.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Could anyone really be blamed for wanting to avoid even more pain and heartbreak by abstaining from dating altogether?
From Salon • Dec. 17, 2025
A vote in October failed to pass by a 25-24 margin with six guides abstaining.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025
Even when Ramadan arrived during the season and I had to play volleyball and fence while fasting from sunrise to sunset, abstaining from food and water, I still didn’t want to quit.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
![]()