FromMiddle Englishincontinence, fromOld Frenchincontinence, fromLatinincontinentia.
incontinence (countable anduncountable,pluralincontinences)
- (dated) Lack ofself-restraint, an inability to control oneself;unchastity.
- verbalincontinence
1749,Henry Fielding,The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume(please specify |volume=I to VI), London:A[ndrew] Millar, […],→OCLC:Allworthy was sufficiently offended by this transgression of Jones; for notwithstanding the assertions of Mr Western, it is certain this worthy man had never indulged himself in any loose pleasures with women, and greatly condemned the vice ofincontinence in others.
2023 December 8,Jennifer Senior, “What Will Happen to the American Psyche If Trump Is Reelected?”, inThe Atlantic[1]:There were times, during the first two years of the Biden presidency, when I came close to forgetting about it all: the taunts and the provocations; the incitements and the resentments; the disorchestrated reasoning; the verbalincontinence; the press conferences fueled by megalomania, vengeance, and a soupçon of hydroxychloroquine.
- (urology) The inability of any of the physical organs to restrain discharges of their contents; involuntary discharge or evacuation (of urine or feces).
2024 July 10, “Network News: 'Boys Need Bins' backed by GTR”, inRAIL, number1013, page23:The objective is to make life easier for male colleagues and customers with urinaryincontinence.
inability to restrain discharge
incontinence f (pluralincontinences)
- incontinence
