Definition

The act of choosing not to vote or participate in a decision, often to avoid taking a side or expressing an opinion.

Example

During the meeting, there were several abstentions from the vote on the new policy.

Conversation

Did you hear about the vote yesterday?

Yeah, I saw that there were a lot of abstentions this time.

I wonder why so many people chose to abstain.

Maybe they felt uncertain about the options presented.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Abstention → It is formed from "ab-" (meaning away) and "tenere" (meaning to hold). The word describes the act of holding oneself away from something, particularly in the context of refraining from voting or participating.

Memory Tip

Think of 'holding away' ('ab-') from something — that's why abstention means to refrain from participating.

Visually Confused Words