What does spirituous mean?
Spirituous is a formal adjective meaning containing, consisting of, or relating to alcohol, especially strong alcoholic liquor. It is most often encountered in literary or historical descriptions of drinks and distilling, as in “spirituous liquors,” and is less common than the simpler term “alcoholic.” Although its principal modern sense concerns alcohol, the word can also describe something resembling a spirit in a metaphorical, emotional, or spiritual sense, though this usage is relatively rare and literary. The word has an intellectually suggestive history: it derives through Latin from spiritus, meaning “breath” or “spirit.” Knowing spirituous therefore connects an apparently technical description of alcoholic beverages with the older human association between breath, life, emotion, and spirit. It is especially useful in formal writing when a more precise or elevated term than “alcohol-containing” is appropriate.
Containing, consisting of, or relating to alcohol, especially strong alcoholic liquor.
"The vendor sold several spirituous beverages alongside local fruit juice."
Chiefly literary, formal, and commonly used attributively.
Of or resembling a spirit in a spiritual, emotional, or metaphorical sense.
"Her spirituous reply revealed her frustration with the decision."
This sense is uncommon and more literary than the alcoholic sense.
The word's ancestor, Latin spiritus, means both “breath” and “spirit,” linking the idea of alcohol with a long history of ideas about breath, vitality, and the soul.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does spirituous come from?
The adjective entered English from Latin spirituosus, a formation associated with spiritus, the Latin word for “breath” or “spirit.” Spiritus belongs to the same Indo-European root expressed in Latin spirare, “to breathe,” which also underlies cognates such as inspire and conspire. Its English use originally encompassed matters of spirits, and the now-dominant alcoholic sense developed through associations with distilled liquor.
How spirituous is actually used
This is a formal and relatively uncommon word. It is most often used attributively with words such as “liquors” and “beverages”; in modern usage, its alcoholic sense predominates.
Easily confused with spirituous
Spirituous means containing or relating to alcohol, whereas spirited means lively, energetic, or full of determination.