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
Dr Kelly, who has been teetotal for three years, decided to give up alcohol during the Covid-19 pandemic when she was 26.
From BBC • Sep. 16, 2023
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
He has been drug-free, teetotal and vegan since he was 30.
From The Guardian • Jul. 7, 2020
Templar, a member of a teetotal society whose organisation is a travesty of that of the Freemasons.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various
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.
