1. past tense of abstain; chose not to participate in or do something, especially something considered harmful or wrong
2. past tense of abstain; chose not to vote on a particular issue or motion
Usage: political/formal contexts

Examples

• She abstained from eating meat for religious reasons.
• He abstained from drinking alcohol during his recovery.
• The senator abstained from voting on the controversial bill.
• They abstained from commenting on the ongoing investigation.
• Several committee members abstained during the final vote.
• She abstained from social media for a month to focus on her studies.