What's the difference between abstinence and refrain?

Abstinence


Definition:

  • (n.) The act or practice of abstaining; voluntary forbearance of any action, especially the refraining from an indulgence of appetite, or from customary gratifications of animal or sensual propensities. Specifically, the practice of abstaining from intoxicating beverages, -- called also total abstinence.
  • (n.) The practice of self-denial by depriving one's self of certain kinds of food or drink, especially of meat.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) The clinical usefulness of neonatal narcotic abstinence scales is reviewed, with special reference to their application in treatment.
  • (2) Within a treatment program, the use of various kinds of assessment methods and treatment modalities did not appear to be closely associated with the endorsement of abstinence vs nonabstinence treatment goals.
  • (3) In 227 smokers' clinic clients who managed at least one week of abstinence, ratings of withdrawal symptoms were used to predict subsequent return to smoking.
  • (4) Focus in this discussion is on the following: 1) female sterilization -- laparotomy, minilaparotomy, and colpotomy; endoscopic sterilization techniques; transcervical approaches to female sterilization; systemic nonsurgical female sterilization; and reversible techniques of female sterilization; 2) abortion -- pregnancy testing, long-term effects; and 3) systemic contraceptives -- steroidal contraception; locally active methods; vaginal foams, creams, and jellies; the diaphragm and other intravaginal barriers; IUDs; and periodic abstine nce.
  • (5) The convulsive episodes had several maxima during the abstinence period.
  • (6) The urinary HOP ratio immediately after abstinence from smoking was proportional to the mean daily number of cigarettes smoked in the past.
  • (7) Nine completed a 7-week trial, and eight maintained abstinence for at least 1 month as outpatients.
  • (8) All of these involve detection of the time of ovulation combined with abstinence during the fertile period of the cycle.
  • (9) In the light of these findings, our results suggest that the mechanism of aminoglycoside-induced inhibition of morphine abstinence may be related to the capacity of these antibiotics to block N-type calcium channels, and to decrease neuronal calcium availability.
  • (10) Infants prenatally exposed to narcotics become passively addicted in-utero and may undergo neonatal abstinence at birth.
  • (11) Each of 12 male habitual smokers with coronary artery disease was given dipyridamole (75 mg) and aspirin (324 mg), dipyridamole (75 mg) and placebo for aspirin, or a placebo for each drug 3 times daily for 1 week before each of three 20-minute periods (separated by 2 weeks) of smoking 2 cigarettes after a 12-hour period of abstinence.
  • (12) Orthostatic hypotension may also be observed in alcoholics during continuing abstinence from alcohol; in some of these patients failure of reflex noradrenaline release in response to standing may contribute to orthostatic hypotension.
  • (13) Naloxone, naltrexone, and cyclazocine precipitated abstinence syndrome which the animals generally controlled with increased morphine intake.
  • (14) From the viewpoint of behavioral biology, however, the method of periodic abstinence is not obviously natural.
  • (15) Abstinence phenomena largely disappeared within 10 days of discontinuation.
  • (16) The HDL2 mass concentration decreased significantly already during two abstinent days the decline continuing until the 8th day.
  • (17) The pharmacodynamic changes induced by smoking were generally most pronounced after the first cigarette following 10 hours' abstinence.
  • (18) Former users of alcohol, cigarettes, or illegal drugs achieved remarkable abstinence records.
  • (19) The WBC count showed only a small increase with longer abstinence periods.
  • (20) Alterations in ERP components, when they did occur, occurred under the acute influence of ethanol, as well as in abstinent chronic alcoholics.

Refrain


Definition:

  • (v. t.) To hold back; to restrain; to keep within prescribed bounds; to curb; to govern.
  • (v. t.) To abstain from
  • (v. i.) To keep one's self from action or interference; to hold aloof; to forbear; to abstain.
  • (v.) The burden of a song; a phrase or verse which recurs at the end of each of the separate stanzas or divisions of a poetic composition.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) In partial reshunting on the background of considerable improvement in hemodynamics and the general condition of the patient, one may refrain from carrying out an operation again and continue dynamik observation of the patient.
  • (2) The Kremlin has so far refrained from dealing with mounting anger against people from Russia's turbulent North Caucasus region, as well as migrant workers from central Asia, which has grown as the country's oil-fuelled economic boom has given way to the hardship of the global financial crisis.
  • (3) The son of the slain Afghan police commander (who is the husband of one of the killed pregnant woman and brother of the other) says that villagers refer to US Special Forces as the "American Taliban" and that he refrained from putting on a suicide belt and attacking US soldiers with it only because of the pleas of his grieving siblings.
  • (4) Last week he argued that properly primed immigrants will "see off the racists" - as if once blacks and Asians could conjugate their verbs properly and learn the date of the Battle of Agincourt, then racists would refrain from attacking them.
  • (5) But Rouhani can still use his position as the public face of the Islamic republic to defend Rezaian, which he has refrained from doing, at least so far.
  • (6) Both promiscuous and nonpromiscuous male homosexuals should refrain from giving blood.
  • (7) Nevertheless, because of the uncertain future of any type of implant, especially new, we have encouraged the patients to follow a careful postoperative management program and refrain from heavy activity during the first year.
  • (8) For reasons of comparison, animals were also trained in a delayed go no-go task in which visual cues instructed them to perform or refrain from an arm movement reaction to a subsequent trigger stimulus.
  • (9) And to a lesser extent in Wales ," has been a persistent refrain during the first decade in the life of the National Assembly.
  • (10) A professional technician is available for consultation on technical problems, but strictly refrains from intervening in the creative work proper.
  • (11) Alistair Burt, a Foreign Office minister, urged Libya "to respect the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, and on all sides to exercise restraint and refrain from violence".
  • (12) Nowadays, the management of the crises which accompany significant Life Events (such as birth, marriage, retirement, death...) within this new family-system, is refrained by the lack of "relays" which were previously provided by the "enlarged family".
  • (13) The latter responded with tear gas, despite orders to refrain from using chemicals against protesters.
  • (14) chi2-testing, was refrained from in view of the small number of interviewes.
  • (15) Results indicate that when the harm-doers apologized, as opposed to when they did not, the victim-subjects refrained from severe aggression against them.
  • (16) I will refrain on saying my thoughts on the National League and pitchers hitting, but all I'm saying here is that maybe it would have been more fun to see a David Oritz or Victor Martinez hitting there instead.
  • (17) If the assessment is that media coverage will be damaging, news organisations are requested to refrain from reporting.
  • (18) Refrain from detonating your little bomb,” one of the generals told the commander in charge of the test.
  • (19) Cue that familiar gloating refrain from Stoke fans when Arsenal are in town: “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” they crooned.
  • (20) Media had been asked to refrain from reporting this for fear of further increasing the danger to him from his captors.