Continence
/ˈkɑːn.tə.nəns/noun
Self-restraint, especially in controlling sexual or bodily impulses; also the ability to control bodily functions.
Did you know?Its Latin ancestor, *continentia*, comes from *continēre*—to hold together, restrain, or keep within—so the word originally carried the energy of something being tightly bound or contained.
Etymological Timeline
PIE
PIE
“ ”
Latin
Latin
continentia
“self-restraint, moderation; keeping within bounds”
Late Latin
Latin
continēre
“to hold together, contain, restrain”
Old French
Old French
continence
“self-restraint; abstinence”
Middle English
English
continence
“self-restraint, especially sexual abstinence”
Modern English
English
continence
“self-restraint; control of bodily functions”