Standard Lemma guide

sobriety

noun · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /səˈbɹaɪ.ɪ.ti/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, US: /səˈbɹaɪ.ə.ti/
  • Canada, US: [səˈbɹaɪ.ə.ɾi]
  • Australian: /səˈbɹɑɪ.ə.ti/
  • Australian: [səˈbɹɑɪ.ə.ɾi]
  • rhymes with -aɪɪti
  • CMU ARPABET: S AH0 B R AY1 AH0 T IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The quality or state of being sober.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • He celebrated five years of sobriety.
  • The judge spoke with calm sobriety about the case.
  • maintain sobriety
  • period of sobriety

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The quality or state of being sober.

The quality or state of not being intoxicated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The quality or state of being sober.

The quality or state of being grave or earnestly thoughtful.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The quality or state of being sober.

The state or quality of being unhurried; a state of calm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The quality or state of being sober.

A state of moderation or seriousness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

The quality or state of being sober.

Modesty in color or style.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Soundness of judgment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

abstaining from excess

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: temperance

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: abstinence

9

noun

Meaning 9

a manner that is serious and solemn

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: graveness, gravity, soberness, somberness, sombreness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: seriousness, earnestness, serious-mindedness, sincerity

Narrower terms: stodginess, stuffiness

10

noun

Meaning 10

moderation in or abstinence from alcohol or other drugs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dryness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: temperance, moderation

11

noun

Meaning 11

the state of being sober and not intoxicated by alcohol

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: soberness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: temporary state

History

Etymology

From Old French sobriete, from Latin sobrietas.

Across languages

Translations

45 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: трезвеност (trezvenost) — quality or state of being sober
  • Czech: střízlivost — quality or state of being sober
  • Dutch: nuchterheid — quality or state of being sober
  • French: sobriété — quality or state of being sober
  • Georgian: სიფხიზლე (sipxizle) — quality or state of being sober
  • German: Nüchternheit — quality or state of being sober
  • German: Ernsthaftigkeit — quality or state of being sober
  • German: Gedecktheit — quality or state of being sober
  • Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌸𐌾𐌴𐌹 (gafraþjei) — quality or state of being sober
  • Greek: νηφαλιότητα (nifaliótita) — quality or state of being sober
  • Hungarian: józanság — quality or state of being sober
  • Italian: sobrietà — quality or state of being sober
  • Japanese: しらふ (shirafu) — quality or state of being sober
  • Latin: sōbrietās — quality or state of being sober
  • Portuguese: sobriedade — quality or state of being sober
  • Portuguese: austeridade — quality or state of being sober
  • Romanian: sobrietate — quality or state of being sober
  • Romanian: cumpătare — quality or state of being sober
  • Russian: тре́звость (trézvostʹ) — quality or state of being sober
  • Slovak: triezvosť — quality or state of being sober
  • Spanish: austeridad — quality or state of being sober
  • Spanish: sobriedad — quality or state of being sober
  • Swedish: nykterhet — quality or state of being sober
  • Turkish: ayıklık — quality or state of being sober
  • Ukrainian: твере́зість (tverézistʹ) — quality or state of being sober
  • Afrikaans: nugterheid — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Azerbaijani: ayıqlıq — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Czech: střízlivost — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Danish: ædruelighed — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Dutch: nuchterheid — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Finnish: raittius — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Finnish: selvyys — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Georgian: სიფხიზლე (sipxizle) — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • German: Nüchternheit — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Greek: νηφαλιότητα (nifaliótita) — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Ancient Greek: νηφαλισμός (nēphalismós) — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Italian: sobrietà — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Japanese: しらふ (shirafu) — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Norwegian Bokmål: edruelighet — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Portuguese: sobriedade — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Russian: тре́звость (trézvostʹ) — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Slovak: triezvosť — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Spanish: sobriedad — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Swedish: nykterhet — quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Turkish: ayıklık — quality or state of not being intoxicated