0 the act of not taking or having something that you would like because you think it is good for you not to have it
1 a decision not to do or have something you want, esp. because it is good for you not to do or have it:
This propriety and intensity makes him the most suitable exemplar for a morality which elevates self-denial.
It also resonates with the troubling expectations of feminine self-denial.
The most humane actions require no self-denial, no self-command, no great exertion of the sense of propriety.
This does not mean that we cannot intelligibly attribute value to lives dedicated to ideals of chastity or self-denial.
As the law solicits works and commands self-denial, so it inspires confidence in the sin-defeating resources of strivers after piety.
Think what self-denial it takes to cut a long story so short.
Women have been encouraged to be assertive as a way of forming a sense of self in a society which has taught them only self-denial and nurturance of others.
I believe it trains young men in self-denial, in courage, and a sense of comradeship, and chiefly and above all in a sense of self-respect.
