intemperance
noun
in·tem·per·ance
(ˌ)in-ˈtem-p(ə-)rən(t)s 
: lack of moderation
especially
: habitual or excessive drinking of intoxicants
Examples of intemperance in a Sentence
in his harangue on the perils of drink, the prohibitionist claimed that intemperance has always been the number one destroyer of marriages
there's a wearisome intemperance in his verbal attacks against any and all who dare to disagree with him
Recent Examples on the Web
Over a career that made headlines for landmark victories such as a six-figure judgment, later reversed, against LAPD Chief Daryl Gates, Yagman also became notorious for intemperance, most pointedly evidenced by his brutal characterization of a federal judge.
—
Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2021
In a situation that forbids explicit expressions of intemperance or protest, mischief is the perfect solution.
—New York Times, 7 June 2022
Her attention to the vibrancy of our inner lives and to the barbed pleasure of sentimental intemperance has lately become more explicit.
—Rachelvoronacote, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020
The intemperance alienated some suffragists, and by 1875, when Anthony drafted the amendment that would bear her name, the movement had split.
—USA Today, 26 Feb. 2020
Acton, whose Catholicism shaped every facet of his thought and work, identified this excess with a certain kind of Protestant intemperance.
—Yuval Levin, National Review, 31 Dec. 2019
Fifty years of putting up with discrimination, hatred and intemperance.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 1 July 2019
But that was the 1980s and 1990s, and nothing had prepared him for the intemperance of the night.
—Bradley Hope, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2018
But the most interesting response has been from Brennan allies warning him that his intemperance may be backfiring.
—William McGurn, WSJ, 20 Aug. 2018
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Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2021
In a situation that forbids explicit expressions of intemperance or protest, mischief is the perfect solution.
—New York Times, 7 June 2022
Her attention to the vibrancy of our inner lives and to the barbed pleasure of sentimental intemperance has lately become more explicit.
—Rachelvoronacote, Longreads, 10 Aug. 2020
The intemperance alienated some suffragists, and by 1875, when Anthony drafted the amendment that would bear her name, the movement had split.
—USA Today, 26 Feb. 2020
Acton, whose Catholicism shaped every facet of his thought and work, identified this excess with a certain kind of Protestant intemperance.
—Yuval Levin, National Review, 31 Dec. 2019
Fifty years of putting up with discrimination, hatred and intemperance.
—Joe Lynch, Billboard, 1 July 2019
But that was the 1980s and 1990s, and nothing had prepared him for the intemperance of the night.
—Bradley Hope, WSJ, 15 Sep. 2018
But the most interesting response has been from Brennan allies warning him that his intemperance may be backfiring.
—William McGurn, WSJ, 20 Aug. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Intemperance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intemperance. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intemperance
noun
in·tem·per·ance
(ˈ)in-ˈtem-p(ə-)rən(t)s
: lack of moderation or self-restraint
especially
: excessive use of alcoholic beverages
Medical Definition
intemperance
noun
in·tem·per·ance
(ˈ)in-ˈtem-p(ə-)rən(t)s
: lack of moderation
especially
: habitual or excessive drinking of intoxicants
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