teetotaler

American  

[tee-toht-ler, tee-toht-] / tiˈtoʊt lər, ˈtiˌtoʊt- /

especially British, teetotaller or teetotalist

noun

1. a person who abstains totally from intoxicating drink.

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Other Word Forms

• nonteetotaler noun
• nonteetotalist noun

Etymology

Origin of teetotaler

First recorded in 1825–35; teetotal + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Gardner’s dad was Soda Pop, since he was a teetotaler.

From Los Angeles Times

The bartender reached for the whiskey, but the cowboy shook his head; either he was a teetotaler — rare in those parts — or he was a little saggy in the saddlebags, digestively speaking.

From Seattle Times

“The fact that the first person that starts collecting them in England is a pro-socialist vegetarian teetotaler who believes dwarfs and little folk are real is not a great way to establish their legitimacy.”

From Washington Post

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

Inviting a gaggle of teetotalers to a party levels the drinking field.

From Washington Post