An Abstention

1. (obsolete) The act of restraining oneself. [Attested from the early 16^th century until the med 17^th century.]^[1]
2. The act of abstaining; a holding aloof; refraining from. [First attested in the early 17^th century.]^[1]
3. The act of declining to vote on a particular issue. [First attested in the late 19^th century.]^[1]
4. Non-participation in the political world; as a country avoiding internationalaffairs.