Added 10 October 2026
abstemious
/æbˈstiː.mɪ.əs/ adjective
In Latin: abstēmius Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about abstemious at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Sparing in consumption of especially food and drink.
the pleasures of the table, never of much consequence to one naturally abstemious
-
Marked by temperance in indulgence.
abstemious with the use of adverbs
Origin
From Latin abstēmius (“abstaining from wine”); from ab, abs (“from”) + tēmus, a root of tēmētum (“intoxicating drink, especially strong mead or wine”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *temH- (“dark (referring to the colour of wine)”)) + -ous.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)