teetotal
Americanadjective
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of or relating to, advocating, or pledged to total abstinence from intoxicating drink.
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Informal. absolute; complete.
verb (used without object)
adjective
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of, relating to, or practising abstinence from alcoholic drink
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dialect complete
Other Word Forms
- teetotalism noun
- teetotaller noun
- teetotally adverb
Etymology
Origin of teetotal
Reduplicated variant of total, coined by R. Turner, of Preston, England, in 1833, in a speech advocating total abstinence from alcoholic drinks
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Zero-alcohol beers helped drive sales last year, the company said, as the teetotal portfolio, led by Corona Cero, surged 34% on year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
For quite a few people, this teetotal millennial - he had his 40th birthday during the first lockdown - appeared to be a reassuringly steady hand at the tiller.
From BBC • Jul. 8, 2022
The teetotal chancellor also announced plans to "radically simplify" alcohol tax, so that it was based purely on the strength of the drink.
From BBC • Oct. 27, 2021
Unlike those moguls, he’s a buff, teetotal vegan with spartan tastes.
From The Guardian • Feb. 27, 2021
He s'posed he was a strict temperance man—was secretary of a teetotal society once, but it died out for want of funds to keep up lights and fires.
From The Puddleford Papers, Or Humors of the West by Riley, H. H.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
