abstention

Name: abstention, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/

//əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“abstention” is an uncommon English word, ranked #52,126 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#52,126
frequency rank, English: 10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of restraining oneself.

Key facts for abstention
Property	Value
Headword	abstention
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#52,126
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “abstention” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). abstention lands here:

#52,126

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for abstention is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #52,126 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for abstention, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1521. Borrowed from French abstention, from Late Latin abstēntiō from Latin abstinēō (“withhold, to abstain”) The correct English form is abstention, spelled A-B-S-T-E-N-T-I-O-N.

Definition

1
The act of restraining oneself.
2
The act of abstaining or refraining (from).
3
The act of declining to vote on a particular issue.
4
Non-participation in the political world; as a country avoiding international affairs.

Etymology

First attested in 1521. Borrowed from French abstention, from Late Latin abstēntiō from Latin abstinēō (“withhold, to abstain”)

This word in other languages

abstención(Español)abstention(Français)Enthaltung(Deutsch)abstenção(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "abstention"?

"abstention" is spelled A-B-S-T-E-N-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/.

What does "abstention" mean?

As a noun, "abstention" means: The act of restraining oneself.

How do you pronounce "abstention"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abstention" is /əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What is the origin of the word "abstention"?

First attested in 1521. Borrowed from French abstention, from Late Latin abstēntiō from Latin abstinēō (“withhold, to abstain”) See the full etymology section above for more details.

Is PlainSpell free to use?

Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “abstention”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

The one correct English spelling is A-B-S-T-E-N-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /əbˈstɛn.ʃn̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.