n (obsolete) The act of restraining oneself. (defdate|Attested from the early 16th century until the med 17th century.)(reference-book | last =| first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | editor =Brown, Lesley | others = | title = The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary | origdate = | origyear = 1933| origmonth = | url = | format = | accessdate = | accessyear = | accessmonth = | edition = 5th | date = | year =2003| month = | publisher =Oxford University Press | location =Oxford, UK | language = | id = | doi = | isbn =978-0-19-860575-7 | lccn = | ol = | pages =9| chapter = | chapterurl = | quote =)
n The act of abstaining; a holding aloof; refraining from. (defdate|First attested in the early 17th century.)
n The act of declining to vote on a particular issue. (defdate|First attested in the late 19th century.)
n Non-participation in the political world; as a country avoiding international affairs.