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straight-edge

American

[streyt-ej] / ˈstreɪtˌɛdʒ /

adjective

advocating abstinence from alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and sex and sometimes advocating vegetarianism.

straight-edge British

adjective

informal not indulging in any kind of drug-taking or sexual activities

"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

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.

Pincus picked up a bass and joined straight-edge band Judge.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025

In her statement, Nancy Barile said the straight-edge philosophy “provided kids with a choice from the typical ’70s suburban party lifestyle.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2025

Serrated knives are good for extremely tender cakes, such as angel food, but for standard American-style layer cakes, Langan as well as our food stylists Lisa Cherkasky and Carolyn Robb prefer a straight-edge knife.

From Washington Post • Mar. 24, 2023

Insisting on straight-edge blades also eliminated a huge swath of the inexpensive and mid-priced serrated steak knife options.

From Slate • Mar. 1, 2019

You could have ruled it with a straight-edge.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023