From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcontinencecon‧ti‧nence /ˈkɒntənəns $ ˈkɑːn-/ noun [uncountable] 1 medical the ability to control your bowels and bladder OPP incontinence2 SYSEX/HAVE SEX WITH old-fashioned the ability to control your sexual desires
Examples from the Corpus
continence• These exercises need to be taught by a continence adviser, a community nurse or physiotherapist.• Primary encopresis A full assessment of the reasons why the child has never achieved continence is required.• While male continence was necessary, it could not be guaranteed, because of the strength of the male urge.• Physical maturation is a critical factor in the attainment of continence although emotional factors are of importance particularly in secondary enuresis.• Some patients seem to do well and have a bowel frequency of less than four in 24 hours without any impairment of continence.• A good response to treatment was defined as restoration of continence or a decrease of at least 75% in frequency of incontinence.• Her book concluded that continence was both physiologically and morally essential for the fit reproduction of the race.• We checked ourselves, gasping, our little hearts lunging in our chests, ensuring that continence had not been lost. 