abstention
n.the act of choosing not to do something, especially not to vote or not to have sex. It is a formal word used in politics or when talking about personal habits.
n.the act of refraining from a particular action, such as voting or sexual activity. Often used in legal or political contexts to describe a formal refusal to participate.
“The candidate's refusal to vote was a clear act of abstention.”
“The committee's decision was made by a narrow margin, with several members choosing the path of abstention.”
“In many cultures, a period of sexual abstention is observed as a ritual of purification or a sign of respect for a higher power.”
First attested in 1521. Borrowed from French abstention, from Late Latin abstēntiō from Latin abstinēō (“withhold, to abstain”)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.