abstinence

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.

   “Near-synonyms: abstentiousness, abstemiousness”

   “Penance, Faſts, and Abſtinence, / To puniſh Bodies for the Souls offence.”

   “The abstinence from a present pleasure that offers itself is a pain, nay, oftentimes, a very great one.”

   “These five short films by San Francisco artist James Broughton, reveal to the viewer the artistic changes undergone by the artist during his 15-year abstinence from filmmaking.”

2. (countable, uncountable)The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.

   “For quotations using this term, see Citations:abstinence.”

3. (countable, uncountable)The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.

   “Abstinence is the only 100% guaranteed contraception.”

4. (countable, uncountable)The act or practice of abstaining, refraining from indulging a desire or appetite.

   “"The church teaching before Vatican II was that it was 'gravely sinful' to take 2 ounces of meat on a day of abstinence such as Friday," said the Rev. Joseph S. Rossi, a Jesuit professor of church history at Loyola College.”

5. (countable, uncountable)The practice of self-denial; self-restraint; forebearance from anything.
6. (countable, obsolete, uncountable)Self-denial; abstaining; or forebearance of anything.
7. (countable, uncountable)Delay of spending to accrue capital.