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
After the second session, the authors reported that the woman had even greater speech capabilities, more facial expressions and humor, increased walking agility and continued continence.
—
Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
The individual is unable to perform, without substantial assistance from another person, at least two of the six activities of daily living (eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, and continence), and the inability is expected to last for an indefinite period.
—James Lange, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
The pelvic floor supports the pelvic organs (the bladder, uterus and bowel), controls the body’s continence mechanisms and helps with core stability.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
The pelvic floor muscles need to work in a coordinated pattern, relaxing to allow urine to flow and contracting to maintain continence, said Alexis E. Te, MD, a professor of urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Verywell.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 3 Oct. 2025
Good posture helps maintain continence, support pelvic organs, and reduce back pain.
—Staci Tanouye, Parents, 29 Aug. 2023
Any chance Sally or Ed has anxiety, digestive or continence issues, hearing loss …?
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2023
Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 9 June 2026
The individual is unable to perform, without substantial assistance from another person, at least two of the six activities of daily living (eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, and continence), and the inability is expected to last for an indefinite period.
—James Lange, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
The pelvic floor supports the pelvic organs (the bladder, uterus and bowel), controls the body’s continence mechanisms and helps with core stability.
—Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
The pelvic floor muscles need to work in a coordinated pattern, relaxing to allow urine to flow and contracting to maintain continence, said Alexis E. Te, MD, a professor of urology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Verywell.
—Maggie O'Neill, Verywell Health, 3 Oct. 2025
Good posture helps maintain continence, support pelvic organs, and reduce back pain.
—Staci Tanouye, Parents, 29 Aug. 2023
Any chance Sally or Ed has anxiety, digestive or continence issues, hearing loss …?
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 29 Jan. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for continence
Noun
-
The report concluded that gummies face stability challenges and that powders remain the more reliable format for hitting a clinical dose, with strong purity and low degradation across the brands tested.—
Samantha Agate,
Miami Herald,
16 June 2026
-
The humanities will survive not by defending an imagined past of disinterested purity, but by demonstrating their necessity in a fractured republic.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Technical excellence is paramount, but so is the ability to take risks, learn from your mistakes and work at the edge and intersections of disciplines to transform ideas into knowledge and action.—
Rachel Nuwer,
Scientific American,
16 June 2026
-
Marie says each piece of work carries a story about childhood, discipline, survival and the complicated ways love can be expressed.—
Nia Dumas,
NPR,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
In the case of these earrings, restraint was paramount.—
Jill Newman,
Robb Report,
18 June 2026
-
For disabled students already navigating discrimination, bullying, and in some cases dangerous seclusion and restraint practices with fewer advocacy resources than ever, the question of who will investigate and enforce their rights just got a lot murkier.—
Keely Cat-Wells,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Moral judgments like these became part of the school curriculum in the late 19th century, as the temperance movement gained momentum toward its goal of total abstinence.—
Tiney Ricciardi,
Denver Post,
3 May 2026
-
The temperance, abolition, and civil-rights movements in America were all motivated in part by religious convictions.—
Luis Parrales,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Eternal Values promise Mierers lured followers in with discussions of enlightenment and mental clarity, often revolving around diet, exercise, celibacy, and the willingness to give up material possessions.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
1 June 2026
-
The group encouraged awareness and emotional discipline, discouraged alcohol and drugs, and demanded celibacy in its early years.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Jafarzadeh highlighted Khabiri as a symbol of the regime’s repression of athletes, as Khabiri was a rising soccer star who became captain of Iran’s national team before being arrested and asked to appear on television to renounce his political beliefs.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 June 2026
-
Other ancestors had fled aboard the Mayflower from the persecution of Puritans in England, aboard a steamship from pogroms in Ukraine, aboard a schooner from Spanish repression in Cuba.—
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Youth media had a specific fixation on virginity and chastity just then.—
Vrinda Jagota,
Pitchfork,
6 June 2026
-
Augustinians also take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The little people are being menaced by a dark force—a force with power, money, and very few moral inhibitions.—
Hanna Rosin,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
-
Shrug off inhibitions and break the ice as the moon and Uranus harmonize.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Continence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/continence. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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