'abstain' is correct and usable in written English.
It means to hold oneself back from doing something or to refrain from an activity. For example, "I have decided to abstain from drinking alcohol for the month of December".
The decision of the whips to impose a three line whip means that David Burrowes, aide to Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin and a leading member of the no camp, is expected to abstain in the "programme motion" vote.
A motion was to be moved by a backbencher committing us to abstain on the Palestinian bid and it was going to be carried, and carried by a decisive majority.
I would have liked a yes vote but was resolved on getting us to abstain at the very least.
There was no commitment to abstain in future from eastern Nato enlargement.
For at least two months, the unchallenged assumption had been that the government would abstain at both Lloyds and RBS if the banks asked for authority to award 200% bonuses.
"To get the coalition, I signed a pledge that said I would either abstain or vote for the proposals.
They signalled they would abstain on their own policy, before latterly resolving to back it – and pleading with their MPs to follow.
The coalition agreement allows Lib Dem MPs to abstain but not vote against the proposals, something many Lib Dems have felt they must do to truly be faithful to the promise.
The coalition agreement allows Lib Dem MPs to abstain on tuition fees, but it is not clear how this applies to ministers.
Clegg is under pressure to persuade his MPs to remain united at tonight's meeting, though he faces an uphill task after it emerged that two junior ministers — the transport minister, Norman Baker, and the equalities minister, Lynne Featherstone — are considering whether to abstain or vote against, a move that might require them to resign from the government.
Did the Nato partners offer a binding commitment to abstain from expansion into eastern Europe, and then renege on it?
