Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun One who abstains completely from alcoholic beverages.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who more or less formally pledges or binds himself to entire abstinence from intoxicating liquors, unless medically prescribed; a total abstainer.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun One pledged to entire abstinence from all intoxicating drinks.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun US A person who completely abstains from alcoholic beverages.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a total abstainer

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word teetotaler.

Examples

  • Apparently, down the rabbit hole with Alice where only a teetotaler is good enough to be called serious on drunk driving, or a Democrat, or someone who thinks a one time no harm incident is a death sentence.

    Sound Politics: Last Call 2006

  • There are always plenty of people to sneer at the teetotaler; people who make money out of drink naturally do so; people who drink themselves naturally do so; the unmarried girl may do so, thinking that the teetotaler is a prig and not quite a man.

    Woman and Womanhood A Search for Principles 1909

  • Eagle Creek could not justly be called a teetotaler; but Pink had never known him to get worse than a bit wobbly in his legs; his mind had never fogged perceptibly.

    Rowdy of the Cross L B. M. Bower 1905

  • "I am hardly what you would call a teetotaler, gentlemen," said

    Viola Gwyn George Barr McCutcheon 1897

  • Among my reasons for becoming a teetotaler was a desire to induce others to do so, who seemed to me to be likely, if they continued to use intoxicating drinks, to become drunkards.

    Modern Skepticism: A Journey Through the Land of Doubt and Back Again A Life Story Joseph Barker 1840

  • I'd meant to ascend as a boozefarian, but clicked "teetotaler" instead.

    Happy Birthday to Max yendi 2006

  • The rapper, a teetotaler, said he drinks energy drinks before or after workouts, and when he's in the studio.

    Rapper Sells Energy Shots for Food Mike Vilensky 2011

  • He was both alcoholic and teetotaler, depending upon the time period.

    Interview With Historian and Writer Clarice Stasz 2010

  • While eyeing the menu on their first date, at an Italian restaurant, she was relieved when he asked whether she wanted some wine, which she took as a sign that "he was not a teetotaler and he's not rigid."

    Dinner with Michael Jacobson, 'Chief of the Food Police' 2011

  • They were a joy, though Gerald got a headache from the fumes which he a teetotaler likened to a hangover.

    Bird Cloud Annie Proulx 2011

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.