abstinence

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The act or practice of refraining from indulging an appetite or desire, especially for alcoholic drink or sexual intercourse.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. In general, the act or practice of voluntarily refraining from the use of something or from some action; abnegation.
2. n. More specifically The refraining from indulgence in the pleasures of the table, or from customary gratifications of the senses or the intellect, either partially or wholly.
3. n. In a still narrower sense— Forbearance from the use of alcoholic liquors as a beverage: in this sense usually preceded by the adjective total. Eccles., the refraining from certain kinds of food or drink on certain days, as from flesh on Fridays.
4. n. The act of abstaining from the use of, or from the doing of, something; specifically, in economics, voluntary abstention from the consumption of anything which one has the power of consuming or using, with the purpose of increasing one's resources or accumulating wealth for future enjoyment.

Wiktionary

1. n. The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire.
2. n. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating/alcoholic beverages (also called total abstinence, teetotalism).
3. n. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from sexual intercourse, either permanently or until marriage.
4. n. The practice of self-denial by depriving one's self (partly or totally) of certain kinds of food or drink, especially meat.
5. n. The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire.
6. n. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating/alcoholic beverages (also called total abstinence, teetotalism).
7. n. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from sexual intercourse, either permanently or until marriage.
8. n. The practice of self-denial by depriving one's self (partly or totally) of certain kinds of food or drink, especially meat.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act or practice of abstaining; voluntary forbearance of any action, especially the refraining from an indulgence of appetite, or from customary gratifications of animal or sensual propensities. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating beverages, -- called also total abstinence.
2. n. The practice of self-denial by depriving one's self of certain kinds of food or drink, especially of meat.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the trait of abstaining (especially from alcohol)
2. n. act or practice of refraining from indulging an appetite