1
as in purity
abstention from sexual intercourse
argued for a pregnancy-prevention program that did not put so much faith in the continence of teenagers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discipline
the checking of one's true feelings and impulses when dealing with others
experiencing a moment of unusual continence, I refrained from returning her gratuitous insult
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in restraint
the power to control one's actions, impulses, or emotions
a religious sect that demanded nearly superhuman continence from its adherents
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in temperance
voluntary restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
a gambling mecca that has a reputation for being the sort of place where caution and continence are thrown to the wind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of continence
This includes the five major types: stress incontinence, urge incontinence, mixed incontinence, overflow incontinence, and functional continence.
—
Jamin Brahmbhatt, Verywell Health, 29 July 2024
Good posture helps maintain continence, support pelvic organs, and reduce back pain.
—Staci Tanouye, Parents, 29 Aug. 2023
Profligate spending under George W. Bush forever made laughable any Republican assertion of fiscal continence.
—Christopher Buckley, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022
Any chance Sally or Ed has anxiety, digestive or continence issues, hearing loss …?
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2023
Aging in the modern era is about slow unstoppable loss - of hearing, of memory, of mobility, of continence, of dignity.
—Kyle Munkittrick, Discover Magazine, 9 Sep. 2011
To maintain continence, the puborectalis muscle chokes the anal canal.
—Cara Schacter, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2022
But even with the delayed start, most healthy, neurotypical kids achieve at least daytime continence by age three.
—Leah Campbell, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2021
Share prices have soared for large Danish health companies such as Coloplast — a major player in the market for colostomy pouches, continence and skin and wound care treatments — and Genmab, a biotech company specializing in cancer treatments.
—Matt Phillips, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2020
Jamin Brahmbhatt, Verywell Health, 29 July 2024
Good posture helps maintain continence, support pelvic organs, and reduce back pain.
—Staci Tanouye, Parents, 29 Aug. 2023
Profligate spending under George W. Bush forever made laughable any Republican assertion of fiscal continence.
—Christopher Buckley, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022
Any chance Sally or Ed has anxiety, digestive or continence issues, hearing loss …?
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2023
Aging in the modern era is about slow unstoppable loss - of hearing, of memory, of mobility, of continence, of dignity.
—Kyle Munkittrick, Discover Magazine, 9 Sep. 2011
To maintain continence, the puborectalis muscle chokes the anal canal.
—Cara Schacter, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2022
But even with the delayed start, most healthy, neurotypical kids achieve at least daytime continence by age three.
—Leah Campbell, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2021
Share prices have soared for large Danish health companies such as Coloplast — a major player in the market for colostomy pouches, continence and skin and wound care treatments — and Genmab, a biotech company specializing in cancer treatments.
—Matt Phillips, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for continence
Noun
-
Analysts suggest Moscow could potentially take custody of Iran’s uranium enriched to 60% purity — a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%.—
Matthew Lee and Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Western powers say Iran is refining uranium to a high degree of fissile purity beyond what is justifiable for a civilian energy programme and close to the level suitable for an atomic bomb.—
Guy Faulconbridge and Parisa Hafezi,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Finch was unimpressed with his team’s offensive game plan discipline in the face of a desperate defense.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Harvard must investigate and carry out meaningful discipline for all violations that occurred during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic years, including the Harvard Business School protest of October 2023, the University Hall sit-in of November 2023, and the spring encampment of 2024.—
Kayla Jimenez,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The holding was manifestly correct, but the dicta may be equally important in counseling greater restraint on both sides.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Apr. 2025
-
After three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final from 2020-22, the combination of age and salary-cap restraints had diminished the Tampa Bay roster.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Supporters aligned with the temperance movement used Weston’s walks to advance their agenda—since Weston was a teetotaler, sponsors and cheerleaders trumpeted his feats as evidence that sobriety was healthy.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
26 Mar. 2025
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For instance, trust will be eroded when a person demonstrates a lack of temperance, which manifests as being agitated, impatient, inattentive, rash, and anxious instead of being composed, patient, prudent, self-controlled, and calm.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In the medieval church, women’s roles were limited – usually some form of enclosure and celibacy, such as becoming an anchoress walled up alone for life, or a nun in a classic convent.—
Joelle Rollo-Koster,
The Conversation,
25 Feb. 2025
-
But Cole is resolute in his pre-marital celibacy.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Documenting Jenna’s bold art and activism, this film offers a powerful, intimate look at resilience under repression.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Apr. 2025
-
At the heart of his writing is the idea of providing a deeper and more nuanced understanding of a country that lost a quarter of its population in less than a decade — one that goes beyond the images of humanitarian emergencies, crime, repression and economic collapse.—
Roxsy Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
This is certainly true with regard to his chastity, which Catholic writers extol in devotional literature.—
Emily Harnett,
Harpers Magazine,
28 Mar. 2025
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Related Stories Robin Williams, who apparently has taken a vow of comic chastity since winning his Good Will Hunting Oscar, plays the robot who wants to be a man.—
Kirk Honeycutt,
The Hollywood Reporter,
17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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His research team, in partnership with associate professor Sakiko Okumoto at Texas A&M University, hopes to study plant mechanisms in sorghum and capitalize on its innate ability to inhibit nitrogen loss, a process known as biological nitrification inhibition (BNI).—
Robin Roenker,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2025
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Read More: 8 Things to Say During a Fight With Your Partner Swearing seems to help people shed their social inhibitions, according to Stephens, one of the study’s authors.—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Continence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/continence. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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