1
as in temperateness
an avoidance of extremes in one's actions, beliefs, or habits
my father attributes his ripe old age to temperance in all things, especially eating and drinking
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in abstinence
voluntary restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
practices a blue-blooded temperance that his parvenu neighbors will never understand
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of temperance
Having unexpectedly come into a fortune when her husband died last season, Ada is putting her inheritance to use backing settlement houses and, to the horror of her sister Agnes, the temperance movement.
—
Brent Lang, Variety, 23 June 2025
Meyer’s stroke of genius was to make her lead vampire an avatar of self-sacrifice and bodily temperance.
—Bruce Handy, Vulture, 20 May 2025
For example, a person with strong justice, accountability, courage, drive, and integrity will need strength in dimensions such as temperance, humility, and humanity to exercise the necessary judgment, avoiding self-righteousness and dogmatism.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Europe’s temperance movement One trend where Asahi expects Europeans to follow Japan is in a movement towards temperance.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 1 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for temperance
Brent Lang, Variety, 23 June 2025
Meyer’s stroke of genius was to make her lead vampire an avatar of self-sacrifice and bodily temperance.
—Bruce Handy, Vulture, 20 May 2025
For example, a person with strong justice, accountability, courage, drive, and integrity will need strength in dimensions such as temperance, humility, and humanity to exercise the necessary judgment, avoiding self-righteousness and dogmatism.
—Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Europe’s temperance movement One trend where Asahi expects Europeans to follow Japan is in a movement towards temperance.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 1 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for temperance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for temperance
Noun
-
Well, abstinence is always an option (albeit an impractical one).—
Zahra Thompson,
SELF,
2 July 2025
-
Studies show people with high novelty-seeking scores are more likely to start substance use and more likely to relapse after abstinence.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
-
The officer conducted a field sobriety test and reported that Knott failed.—
Cameron Knight,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
-
According to an arrest citation, Smith failed the officer's sobriety test and a blood alcohol content sample read at 0.73.—
Leo Bertucci,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
Noun
-
But the promise of fiscal discipline has become a straightjacket.—
Oliver Eagleton,
Time,
5 July 2025
-
Our options are to chase growth and tolerate inflation siphoning away most of the progress, impose austerity and trigger a populist backlash, or adopt a neutral monetary protocol and accept the discipline that comes with it.—
Dave Birnbaum,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
At its core, Wimbledon is a British brand built on restraint: the all-white dress code, the absence of in-your-face, on-court branding, the strawberries and cream.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
Critics say Trump has only become more dangerous, pursuing radical ideas without restraint.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
This includes the five major types: stress incontinence, urge incontinence, mixed incontinence, overflow incontinence, and functional continence.—
Jamin Brahmbhatt,
Verywell Health,
29 July 2024
-
Good posture helps maintain continence, support pelvic organs, and reduce back pain.—
Staci Tanouye,
Parents,
29 Aug. 2023
Noun
-
Crace transports readers two thousand years into the past to a stark Biblical landscape full of visceral encounters, violence, self-denial, and possible miracles.—
Mia Barzilay Freund,
Vogue,
7 July 2025
-
But the biblical term for self-denial – inui – has another meaning.—
Rabbi Avi Weiss,
Sun Sentinel,
7 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
Her vocation requires the skill of transformation and self-abnegation, as well as a receptiveness to language and emotion not her own.—
Jordan Kisner,
The Atlantic,
4 Apr. 2025
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The audience responds gratefully to this level of self-abnegation, and the frankly chilling sounds that come out of her.—
Helen Shaw,
The New Yorker,
25 Oct. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Temperance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/temperance. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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