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Definition of "abstemious" []

  • Eating and drinking in moderation. (adjective)
  • Characterized by abstinence or moderation: The hermit led an abstemious way of life. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "abstemious" in a sentence
  • "Dowd has repeatedly mocked Obama's "abstemious" tastes and how these set him apart from the great, fat, American mainstream:"
  • "Dowd has repeatedly mocked Obama's "abstemious" tastes and how these set him apart from the great, fat, American mains ..."
  • "The second one, "abstemious" I more or less gleaned, also from context, but also because it's close to "abstain", which is near to what it means."