Word: abstain (verb)

Associations

"Abstain" means to choose not to do something, especially something you might usually do or be expected to do. It often relates to not voting, not drinking alcohol, or not eating certain foods.

• In an election, a person might abstain from voting if they don't want to choose any candidate.
• Someone might abstain from alcohol for health or personal reasons.
• During a diet, a person may abstain from eating sweets.

A similar word is "refuse," but "refuse" is more direct and sometimes stronger, while "abstain" often implies a deliberate and thoughtful choice, sometimes for moral, health, or personal reasons.

Substitution

You can use these words instead of "abstain" depending on the context:

• "Avoid" – if you are trying not to do something.
• "Refrain" – which also means to hold back from doing something.
• "Decline" – when you choose not to accept or participate. Example: "He refrained from voting" is similar to "He abstained from voting."

Deconstruction

The word "abstain" comes from Latin:

• Prefix "ab-" means "away from."
• Root "tenere" means "to hold." Together, "abstain" means "to hold oneself away from" or "to keep away."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when you might want to abstain from something? Why?
• How is abstaining different from simply refusing or ignoring?
• Have you ever abstained from a food, drink, or activity? How did it feel?