abstinent
/ˈæb.stɪ.nn̩t/adjective, noun
abstinent is spelled A-B-S-T-I-N-E-N-T: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 85,266th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, abstinent means “Refraining from indulgence, especially from the indulgence of appetite” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in abstinent?
| Letters | 9: A-B-S-T-I-N-E-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 8 million words; the 85,266th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is abstinent?
Abstinent appears about once in every 8 million words in written English, the 85,266th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce abstinent?
- US /ˈæb.stɪ.nn̩t/
- US /ˈæb.stə.nn̩t/
Abstinent has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-abstinent.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of abstinent
- more abstinent comparative
- most abstinent superlative
- abstinents plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does abstinent mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Refraining from indulgence, especially from the indulgence of appetite.
noun
- 1
One who abstains; a faster.
- 2
Alternative letter-case form of Abstinent.
noun
- 1
One of a Christian sect that appeared in France and Spain in the 3rd century, and practised abstinence from meat and sex.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Abstinent in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | abstinent, enthaltsam , Abstinenzler |
| Portuguese | abstinente |
| Spanish | abstinente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does abstinent come from?
First attested in the late 14th century as Middle English abstinent, abstynent, from Old French abstinent, from Latin abstinēns, present participle of abstineō. See abstain.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).