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
-
His timbre, almost unearthly in its purity, could carry over the orchestra and through Jarvis Hall on luster alone.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
-
Domaine Roy & Fils produces organic Pinot Noir, emphasizing the purity of fruit and terroir.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
But the promise of fiscal discipline has become a straightjacket.—
Oliver Eagleton,
Time,
5 July 2025
-
Prior to Vida, the Fort Wayne native studied culinary disciplines including butchery at Ivy Tech's Fort Wayne and Indianapolis campuses.—
Bradley Hohulin,
IndyStar,
4 July 2025
Noun
-
At its core, Wimbledon is a British brand built on restraint: the all-white dress code, the absence of in-your-face, on-court branding, the strawberries and cream.—
Jeetendr Sehdev,
Forbes.com,
13 July 2025
-
Critics say Trump has only become more dangerous, pursuing radical ideas without restraint.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
More than 90 years after Congress repealed the 18th amendment, also known as Prohibition, and made consuming alcohol legal again, there’s a new temperance movement in town.—
Mike DeSimone,
Robb Report,
4 July 2025
-
For example, a team high in drive but low in temperance may be prone to rushing decisions or overlooking long-term consequences.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
-
Here’s the thing: the women of history had so many good reasons for choosing celibacy.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
11 June 2025
-
On June 8, Pashinyan called for Karekin II to resign after accusing him of fathering a child despite a vow of celibacy.—
Avet Demourian,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
The costs of academic repression, in other words, are not confined to elite institutions—they are borne by everyone.—
Matt Motta,
Scientific American,
10 July 2025
-
Mac's deeply closeted, Catholic-guilty homosexuality had been treated as a joke throughout the show's run, with the joke never truly being about Mac being gay, but about how his desperate repression had twisted him into a caricature of grasping masculinity.—
Dennis Perkins,
EW.com,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
The Sisters of Mercy are an international community of Roman Catholic women who dedicate their lives to the Gospel of Jesus and take vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and service.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
2 July 2025
-
The residents of the house had taken vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.—
Raul A. Reyes,
NBC news,
29 June 2025
Noun
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Before the month comes to a close, Mercury will station retrograde in Leo, activating your 12th house of secrets, surrender and your subconscious, bringing up old memories or inhibitions that have been clouding your clarity.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
8 July 2025
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Reservations and inhibitions have a way of slipping away in the Snake Pit.—
Shari Rudavsky,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Continence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/continence. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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