abstenerse

Abstenerse is a Spanish verb that means to refrain from doing something or to refrain from participating in an activity, especially in voting or decision-making. It is most commonly used in pronominal form as abstenerse de + an infinitive or sometimes with a noun, for example, abstenerse de fumar or abstenerse de votar. The act implies a deliberate choice to not take part in a given action.

In political contexts, abstención (abstention) refers to the act or result of not voting. A voter who does not cast a ballot is described as having abstained, and the term also appears in discussions of turnout and electoral strategy. The noun abstención and related terms such as abstencionista (a person who abstains) and abstencionismo (the stance or practice of abstaining) are common in electoral discourse.

Conjugation and usage notes: abstenerse is conjugated like a regular -er verb with reflexive pronouns. Present indicative forms include me abstengo, te abstienes, se abstiene, nos abstendemos, os absteneís, se abstienen. The construction abstenerse de + infinitive (or a noun) is standard to specify the action from which one refrains. The verb can appear in various tenses and moods according to standard Spanish conjugation rules for reflexive -er verbs.

Etymology: abstenerse derives from Latin abstinere, from ab- “away” + tenēre “to hold,” with the reflexive development common in Spanish.

See also: abstención, abstencionismo, abstencionista. Examples: “Los ciudadanos se abstuvieron de emitir su voto.” “Se abstuvo de comentar el asunto.” “La abstención fue alta en la elección.”