[a. 14th c. F. continence, or ad. L. continēntia, a holding back, repression (of passions, desires, etc.), also in late L. ‘tenor or contents (of a work),’ f. continēnt-, pr. pple. of continēre to CONTAIN: see -ENCE. A doublet of COUNTENANCE, OF. contenance, which represents a development of branch II.]
I. Self-restraint.
1. Self-restraint, in regard to impulse, appetite, or desire.
c. 1340. Hampole, Prose Tr. (1866), 15. A saule þat … es clede in vertus, as … in contynence, in wysdome, in trouthe, hope, and charyte.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls) III. 195. Þis Pictagoras usede so grete contynence and abstinence þat he ete noþer fische ne flesche.
1531. Elyot, Gov. (1580), 179. Continence is a vertue which keepeth the plesaunt appetite of man under the yoke of reason.
1694. Crowne, Married Beau, ii. 12. No woman has much continence in her tongue.
1700. Dryden, Fables, Pref. (Globe), 499. He knows when to leave off, a continence which is practised by few writers.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Manners, Wks. (Bohn), II. 47. They have as much energy, as much continence of character as they ever had.
2. spec. Self-restraint in the matter of sexual appetite, displayed either by due moderation or (as more frequently taken) by entire abstinence. (Sometimes identified with, sometimes distinguished from, CHASTITY.)
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 109. Vowis of contynense.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s Prol., 106. Virginitee is greet perfeccioun, And continens eek with deuocioun.
1450–1530. Myrr. our Ladye, p. li. Seint Birget induced hir husbande to lyfe in contynens many yeres.
1531. Elyot, Gov., I. xxi. Continence, which is a meane betwene Chastitie and inordinate luste.
a. 1667. Jer. Taylor, Holy Living, I. iii. Chastity is either abstinence or continence: abstinence is that of virgins or widows; continence, of married persons.
1701. Grew, Cosm. Sacra, II. vii. 28. Contentment, without External Honour, is Humility; without the Pleasure of Eating, Temperance; of Drinking, Sobriety; of Lawful Venery, Continence; of Unlawful, Chastity.
1844. Lingard, Anglo-Sax. Ch. (1858), II. xii. 230. To the first of these marriage was always allowed; the latter were bound to a life of the strictest continence.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), II. vii. 48. Not one thought it any part of his duty to observe continence towards his own wife.
† II. 3. Tenor, contents; content, capacity.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XIX. cxxviii. (1495), 933. Batus is a mesure of fletinge thynges ordenyd by the continence of the lawe [secundum legis continentiam deputata].
4. Continuity: cf. CONTINENT a. 6 b. Obs.
1726. Ayliffe, Parerg., 67. Lest the Continence of the Cause should be divided, or in other Terms, lest there should be a discontinuance of the Cause.
