English
incontinence
Incontinence comes from Middle English incontinence.
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, English incontinence
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1749, Henry Fielding, The Narrow Escape of Molly Seagrim, […]: “Allworthy was ſufficiently offended by this Tranſgreſſion of Jones;…”.
Earlier history uncertain. See Wiktionary.
Lineage
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500incontinenceWiktionary, English incontinence
- Englishearliest quotation 1749incontinenceWiktionary, English incontinence. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1749, Henry Fielding, The Narrow Escape of Molly Seagrim, […]: “Allworthy was ſufficiently offended by this Tranſgreſſion of Jones;…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘to stretch, extend’
tight, obtain, entertainment, tone, ton, tune, tender, maintenance, tonic, tendon, tenacious, pristine, tetanus, pertinent, tantra, countenance, hypotenuse, tendinitis, maintainer, retentive, 65 more
through Latin teneō ‘to hold’
continue, tennis, retain, sustain, tenant, detention, container, retention, tenor, rein, detain, tenacity, abstain, pertain, tenet, sustenance, abstinence, tenement, retinue, tenable, abstention, abstinent, 21 more
through Latin contineō ‘to hold together, contain’
content, contain, continuous, continuum, 4 more
through Latin continēns ‘containing’
Today it means
noun Lack of self-restraint, an inability to control oneself; unchastity.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “incontinence”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Middle English incontinence / incontinence