SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
abstention
noun
A deliberate choice not to take part in an action, especially a decision not to cast a vote.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Deliberate nonparticipation
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topIn voting, an abstention is neither an affirmative nor a negative vote.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See abstention in use
The chair recorded one abstention because a member had a personal interest in the proposal.
An abstention appeared on the class tally when one student deliberately declined to vote because neither proposed notice period seemed suitable.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license