teetotal

[tee-toht-l, tee-toht-l]

adjective

1. of or relating to, advocating, or pledged to total abstinence from intoxicating drink.

2. Informal.,  absolute; complete.

verb (used without object)

teetotaled, teetotaling , teetotalled, teetotalling .

1. to practice teetotalism.

teetotal

/ tiːˈtəʊtəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or practising abstinence from alcoholic drink

2. dialect,  complete

Other Word Forms

• teetotally adverb
• teetotalism noun
• teetotaller noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of teetotal¹

Reduplicated variant of total, coined by R. Turner, of Preston, England, in 1833, in a speech advocating total abstinence from alcoholic drinks

Word History and Origins

Origin of teetotal¹

C19: allegedly coined in 1833 by Richard Turner, English advocate of total abstinence from alcoholic liquors; probably from _total , with emphatic reduplication

Example Sentences

But he says it sometimes seems difficult for people to accept he's teetotal.

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He is teetotal and a practising Muslim who has spoken openly about his observance of Ramadan.

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According to Hindu customs, warriors and kings may only imbibe on special occasions, while Brahmins must remain teetotal.

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These individual choices are part of an overarching social shift making, as NPR put it, “teetotaling trendy.”

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Whether teetotaling, temperance or virgin, they’re just drinks, after all — though I suppose their intricacy beyond fresh-squeezed juice demands we label them something nobler.

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