# Abstention

> Source: https://sukruyusufkaya.com/en/glossary/abstention
> Updated: 2026-05-13T20:57:52.330Z
> Type: glossary
> Category: uretken-yapay-zeka-ve-llm
**TLDR:** The ability of a model to avoid fabricating certainty and instead decline or express uncertainty when it is not confident.

<p>Abstention is an important part of hallucination reduction strategy. Instead of forcing the model to answer every question, expressing uncertainty under insufficient information leads to safer behavior. In high-stakes settings, it is considered one of the core properties of reliable system design.</p>