teetotaler

or tee·to·tal·ist

[ tee-toht-ler, tee-toht- ]

noun

1. a person who abstains totally from intoxicating drink.

Other Words From

• nontee·total·er noun
• nontee·total·ist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of teetotaler¹

First recorded in 1825–35; teetotal + -er ¹

Example Sentences

This is tricky show business: Alcoholics become teetotalers as the show progresses.

From Seattle Times

Alcohol is available in bars and clubs in the United Arab Emirates, the federation of seven sheikhdoms that includes Dubai, but the Muslim country has a large population of teetotalers.

From Seattle Times

The bartender reached for the whiskey, but the cowboy shook his head; either he was a teetotaler — rare in those parts — or he was a little saggy in the saddlebags, digestively speaking.

From Seattle Times

“The fact that the first person that starts collecting them in England is a pro-socialist vegetarian teetotaler who believes dwarfs and little folk are real is not a great way to establish their legitimacy.”

From Washington Post

Emmanuel Macron, three weeks from turning 45, raised a slender crystal Baccarat flute of California brut rosé to President Biden, freshly 80, whose vessel reportedly contained the divine elixir of the teetotaler: ginger ale.

From Washington Post