adj
Meaning 1
Abstinent from alcohol; never drinking alcohol.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: on the wagon, straightedge
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
teetotal
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.
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/ˌtiːˈtəʊtəl/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
adj
Meaning 2
Opposed to the drinking of alcohol.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Meaning 3
Total.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, emphatic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
One who abstains from drinking alcohol.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: teetotaler, pioneer
Antonyms: alcoholic, dipsomaniac, drunkard
verb
Meaning 5
To advocate or practice the total abstinence from alcohol.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, uncommon
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
practicing complete abstinence from alcoholic beverages
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he's been dry for ten years
- no thank you; I happen to be teetotal
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: dry
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 7
practice teetotalism and abstain from the consumption of alcoholic beverages
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: abstain, refrain, desist
History
Etymology
From total, the reduplicated tee acts as an intensifier, hence T-total. First use appears in 1834.
Across languages
Translations
23 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: въздържателен (vǎzdǎržatelen) — abstinent from alcohol
- Chinese Mandarin: 滴酒不沾的 — abstinent from alcohol
- Estonian: karske — abstinent from alcohol
- Finnish: raivoraitis — abstinent from alcohol
- French: abstinent — abstinent from alcohol
- German: gänzlich enthaltsam — abstinent from alcohol
- German: völlig abstinent — abstinent from alcohol
- Italian: astemio — abstinent from alcohol
- Russian: тре́звенник (trézvennik) — abstinent from alcohol
- Russian: тре́звенница (trézvennica) — abstinent from alcohol
- Spanish: abstemio — abstinent from alcohol
- Spanish: temperante — abstinent from alcohol
- Spanish: aguado — abstinent from alcohol
- Welsh: llwyrymwrthodol — abstinent from alcohol
- Welsh: dirwestol — abstinent from alcohol
- Finnish: raivoraitis — opposed to the drinking of alcohol
- Spanish: abstemio — opposed to the drinking of alcohol
- Welsh: llwyrymwrthodol — opposed to the drinking of alcohol
- Welsh: dirwestol — opposed to the drinking of alcohol
- Bulgarian: пълен (pǎlen) — emphatic: total
- Bulgarian: абсолютен (absoljuten) — emphatic: total
- Spanish: total — emphatic: total
- Danish: afholdsmand — Translations