alcoholism

[ al-kuh-haw-liz-uhm, -ho- ]
See synonyms for alcoholism on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. (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
First recorded in 1855–60; alcohol + -ism

Words Nearby alcoholism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use alcoholism in a sentence

  • It must be borne in mind that chronic alcoholism makes a number of serious organic diseases run a latent course.

  • Wounds of the head, alcoholism, and epilepsy are prominent factors in the production of circular insanity.

  • Where it comes on without obvious cause there is commonly a bad family history of nervousness or alcoholism.

  • Already you have a semi-comic "gold-cure" for alcoholism, and you have heard of the geophagism of certain African tribes.

    Prince Zaleski | M.P. Shiel
  • For cases of alcoholism in the earlier stages there is but little difficulty.

    Psychotherapy | James J. Walsh

British Dictionary definitions for alcoholism

alcoholism

/ (ˈælkəhɒˌlɪzəm) /


noun
  1. 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

alcoholism

[ ălkə-hô-lĭz′əm ]


  1. 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

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.