What does inebriety mean?
Inebriety is a formal noun meaning the state of being drunk or severely impaired by alcohol. It may also describe a metaphorical intoxication produced by intense emotion, excitement, music, spectacle, or collective enthusiasm. Because the word is more literary and technical than 'drunkenness,' it appears especially in formal writing, historical accounts, medical or legal discussion, and descriptions of revelry. In ordinary conversation, people are more likely to say that someone is 'drunk,' 'intoxicated,' or 'tipsy,' while 'inebriety' gives the condition a more elevated or analytical tone. The word can be used approvingly in figurative expressions, as when a crowd is described as being in a state of inebriety, but it commonly retains the potential implications of impaired judgment and loss of control associated with drunkenness.
nounThe condition of being drunk or excessively intoxicated, especially from alcohol. It can also refer more generally to a state of being greatly excited, overwhelmed, or unable to act with normal judgment.
- The condition of being drunk or excessively intoxicated, especially as a result of consuming alcohol.
- A state of extreme excitement, emotional overwhelm, or mental intoxication in which normal judgment is impaired.
"The celebration devolved into noisy inebriety by midnight."
"He was accused of driving while suffering from inebriety."
"The crowd fell into a kind of inebriety as the lights and music overwhelmed the stadium."
The plural is rarely used because 'inebriety' normally occurs as an uncountable noun.
"The novel portrays the inebrieties of the political elite."
Inebriety can describe not only alcohol-induced intoxication but also the intoxicating effects of overwhelming emotion, noise, or spectacle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inebriety come from?
Inebriety comes through French and Medieval Latin from Latin inebrietas, meaning drunkenness or intoxication. The Latin family is based on inebriare, 'to make drunk or intoxicated,' and ultimately on ebrius, meaning drunk. The root was later broadened in figurative use to describe intoxication caused by emotional excitement or overwhelming experience. Modern related forms include 'ebrious' and 'inebriate.'
Related word forms
How inebriety is actually used
This is a formal or literary term. In contemporary English, 'drunkenness' is more common in general and legal contexts, while 'intoxication' is often used in medical and public-health settings. The second sense is figurative and is less common than the alcohol-related sense.