alcoholism
(not in technical use as a medical diagnosis, see alcohol use disorder) a chronic illness characterized by dependence on alcohol, repeated excessive use of alcoholic beverages, the development of withdrawal symptoms upon reducing or ceasing intake, morbidity that may include cirrhosis of the liver, and decreased ability to function socially and professionally.
Origin of alcoholism
1- Also called alcohol dependence .
Words Nearby alcoholism
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use alcoholism in a sentence
This replaces the older “alcohol abuse” and even older “alcoholism,” which has been out of favor among scientists for decades.
Americans Drink Too Much, But We’re Not All Alcoholics | Gabrielle Glaser | November 25, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOne interpretation suggests he is the embodiment of whisky, a lewd allusion to a tenured tradition of Scottish alcoholism.
Scotland’s ‘Yes’ Campaign and the Myth of Scottish Equality | Noah Caldwell | September 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTConsuming yagé is believed to be a general cure-all for almost anything: cancer, depression, alcoholism, etc.
Do you have any history of dealing with alcoholism, or abuse?
Patricia Arquette Uncut: Drunken Mischief with Johnny Depp, ‘True Romance’ Crush, and ‘Boyhood’ | Marlow Stern | July 16, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIt appears, based on this chart, that alcoholism is a larger problem in the red states than in the blue.
It must be borne in mind that chronic alcoholism makes a number of serious organic diseases run a latent course.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine | Austin MalleyWounds of the head, alcoholism, and epilepsy are prominent factors in the production of circular insanity.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine | Austin MalleyWhere it comes on without obvious cause there is commonly a bad family history of nervousness or alcoholism.
Essays In Pastoral Medicine | Austin MalleyAlready you have a semi-comic "gold-cure" for alcoholism, and you have heard of the geophagism of certain African tribes.
Prince Zaleski | M.P. ShielFor cases of alcoholism in the earlier stages there is but little difficulty.
Psychotherapy | James J. Walsh
British Dictionary definitions for alcoholism
/ (ˈælkəhɒˌlɪzəm) /
a condition in which dependence on alcohol harms a person's health, social functioning, or family life
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for alcoholism
[ ăl′kə-hô-lĭz′əm ]
A progressive, potentially fatal disease characterized by the excessive and compulsive consumption of alcoholic beverages and physiological and psychological dependence on alcohol. Chronic alcoholism usually results in liver and other organ damage, nutritional deficiencies and impaired social functioning.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for alcoholism
A chronic disease associated with the excessive and habitual use of alcohol; the disease, if left unattended, worsens and can kill the sufferer. Alcoholism is marked by physical dependency and can cause disorders in many organs of the body, including the liver (see cirrhosis), stomach, intestines, and brain. It is also associated with abnormal heart rhythms, with certain cancers, and, because of loss of appetite, with poor nutrition. The cause of alcoholism is very complicated and most often involves a mixture of physical, psychological, and possibly genetic factors.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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