temperance

See also: Temperance and tempérance

English

Alternative forms

temperaunce (obsolete)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman temperance, from Latin temperantia (“moderation, sobriety, discretion, self-control”), from temperans, present participle of temperare (“to moderate”). See temper. English equivalent temper +‎ -ance.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈtɛmpəɹəns/
Audio (US) (file)
Hyphenation: tem‧per‧ance

Noun

temperance (countable and uncountable, plural temperances)

Habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence
temperance in eating and drinking
temperance in the indulgence of joy
Moderation, and sometimes abstinence, in respect to using intoxicating liquors.
- 1891, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, A Study in Scarlet. A Detective Story, 3rd edition, London; New York, N.Y.: Ward, Lock, Bowden, and Co., […], published 1892, OCLC 84167364:
  On these occasions I have noticed such a dreamy, vacant expression in his eyes, that I might have suspected him of being addicted to the use of some narcotic, had not the temperance and cleanliness of his whole life forbidden such a notion.
Moderation of passion
Synonyms: patience, calmness, sedateness
(obsolete) State with regard to heat or cold; temperature.
- 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene i], line 41:
  It [the climate] must needs be of subtle, tender, and delicate temperance.

Antonyms

intemperance
gluttony

Coordinate terms

(virtue): chastity, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, humility

Derived terms

terms derived from the noun temperance

American Temperance Society (ATS)
Loyal Temperance Legion (LTL)
temperance association
temperance bar
temperance chartism
temperance chartist
Temperance Colonization Society
temperance colony
temperance education
temperance group
temperance hotel
temperance journal
temperance lobby
temperance magazine
temperance meeting
temperance movement
temperance movement zealot
temperance norm
temperance organisation, temperance organization
temperance paper
temperance pledge
temperance reading room
temperance society
temperance writer
Toronto Temperance Society (TTS)
Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU)
Youth Temperance Council (YTC)

Related terms

temper
temperament
temperamental
temperature

Translations

habitual moderation

Bulgarian: умереност (bg) f (umerenost)
Catalan: temprança f
Chinese:
Mandarin: (of alcohol) 戒酒 (zh) (jièjiǔ)
Dutch: matiging (nl) f
Finnish: kohtuus (fi), itsehillintä (fi), raittius (fi)
French: sobriété (fr) f
Galician: tempero m
German: Mäßigung (de) f
Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐌷𐍉𐌱𐌰𐌹𐌽𐍃 f (gahōbains)
Greek:
Ancient: σωφροσύνη f (sōphrosúnē)
Hebrew: מתינות‎ f (mētìnut)
Japanese: 節制 (ja) (せっせい, sessei), 禁酒 (ja) (きんしゅ, kinshu)
Latin: temperantia f, sōbrietās f
Romanian: sobrietate (ro) f, cumpătare (ro) f
Russian: уме́ренность (ru) f (umérennostʹ), сде́ржанность (ru) f (sdéržannostʹ), тре́звенность (ru) f (trézvennostʹ)
Spanish: templanza (es) f, temperancia (es)

moderation of passion

Bulgarian: сдържаност (bg) (sdǎržanost)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 节制 (zh)
Finnish: itsehillintä (fi), maltti (fi), tyyneys (fi)
French: sobriété (fr) f
Galician: sobriedade (gl) f
German: Mäßigung (de) f, Enthaltsamkeit (de) f, Mäßigkeit im Alkoholgenuss f, Temperenz f
Greek: εγκράτεια (el) (egkráteia)
Hebrew: מתינות‎ f (mētìnut), התנזרות‎ (he) f (hìtnāzrut)
Japanese: 節制 (ja) (せっせい, sessei)
Spanish: templanza (es) f, temperancia (es)

one of seven virtues

Catalan: temprança f
Finnish: kohtuullisuus (fi)
French: tempérance (fr) f
Galician: temperanza f
Hebrew: מתינות‎ f (mētìnut), איפוק‎ (he) m (ipuk)
Italian: temperanza (it) f
Spanish: templanza (es) f, temperancia (es)

state with regard to heat or cold — see temperature

Tarot card

Catalan: temperança
Czech: umění (cs), umírněnost
Dutch: gematigheid
Finnish: kohtuus (fi)
French: tempérance (fr)
German: Mäßigkeit
Hebrew: מתינות‎ f (mētìnut)
Hungarian: megfontoltság (hu)
Italian: temperanza (it)
Japanese: 節制 (ja) (せっせい, sessei)
Korean: 절제 (ko) (jeolje)
Polish: umiarkowanie (pl), powściągliwość (pl)
Portuguese: temperança (pt)
Spanish: templanza (es), temperancia (es)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Irish: ^{(please verify)} measarthacht f