teetotaler
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of teetotaler
Explanation
If you are a teetotaler, you stay away from drinking alcoholic beverages. Some people assume that teetotaler and the related word teetotal were coined to refer to people who totally abstained from drinking anything stronger than tea, but this is incorrect. (Note the spelling difference of the prefix tee.) One theory on the words' origins is that a man called Dicky Turner stuttered in an 1833 speech in Preston, England. He claimed that moderation was not sufficient, instead pledging "t-t-total" abstinence.
Vocabulary lists containing teetotaler
100 Words to Make You Sound Smart
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week In Culture: Current Events Vocab for September 26–October 2, 2020
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Black Swan Green
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
"Max, a vegetarian and a teetotaler who expanded his consciousness through yoga, not drugs, was one of the most visible and successful artists of his time," the Times said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
My New Year’s resolution is to do something similar: I plan to become a social-media teetotaler in 2026.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026
Gardner’s dad was Soda Pop, since he was a teetotaler.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2025
Emmanuel Macron, three weeks from turning 45, raised a slender crystal Baccarat flute of California brut rosé to President Biden, freshly 80, whose vessel reportedly contained the divine elixir of the teetotaler: ginger ale.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 1, 2022
A teetotaler himself, he made his living buying and selling liquor.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
