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
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.
See Examples For:
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
Mr Sunak, who is teetotal, has previously expressed a passion for the fizzy drink.
From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2023
The teetotal chancellor also announced plans to "radically simplify" alcohol tax, so that it was based purely on the strength of the drink.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2021
Unlike those moguls, he’s a buff, teetotal vegan with spartan tastes.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 27, 2021
The soul of Sir Wilfrid Lawson would be elevated to the height of successful joke-making at the catalogue of the teetotal drinks, which range from sugared water to milk and orangeade.
From Romantic Spain A Record of Personal Experiences (Vol. I) by John Augustus O'Shea
Still, he says, even teetotaling Gen Xers still uphold a certain bar etiquette.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
A better option for teetotaling moviegoers is Three Dollar Cinema’s free OUTdoor Cinema at various parks throughout Seattle.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 20, 2023
This year, more demand for sober revelry has led some bars and restaurants to offer teetotaling alternatives to the festivities, as well as a greater focus on Irish food and music.
From New York Times ● Mar. 17, 2023
DOHA, Qatar — The more than 1 million fans expected to attend the World Cup, set to begin here Sunday, were promised beer, Qatar’s teetotaling conservatism aside.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 18, 2022
Indeed, the image Cawthorn was trying to construct of himself on the "Warrior Poet Society" podcast was as a teetotaling naif who cannot believe the deviance he's exposed to in the big city.
From Salon ● Apr. 29, 2022
The teetotalling revolutionaries operated for years out of a second-floor office, above a liquor store, far from the diplomatic quarter.
From The New Yorker ● Feb. 10, 2019
Does Paulson, the devout Christian Scientist, the teetotalling college football star, have some secret affiliation with 60s radicalism?
From The Guardian ● Feb. 10, 2017
Too many teetotalling whimsy cats in the scene for my liking.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 3, 2012
Playing a steady, nerveless game, the 34-year-old teetotalling saloon owner came from behind to catch American Walker Cup Player Bill Campbell and beat him 2 and 1 in the 36-hole final round.
From Time Magazine Archive
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