What does teetotaller mean?
A teetotaller is someone who does not drink alcohol, usually because of a personal decision, religious conviction, health reason, or commitment to abstinence. In contemporary usage, the word can simply identify a non-drinker, but it often carries a stronger implication of consistency or principle than the neutral phrase non-drinker. Teetotallers are especially associated with temperance and abstention movements, which helped establish the word's historical character. The term is used in both British and American English, with teetotaler being the more usual American spelling. Although a teetotaller need not be involved in advocacy or activism, the word remains useful when describing someone whose abstinence is deliberate and sustained rather than temporary. In conversation, it is often more colorful and specific than saying only that someone avoids alcohol.
nounA teetotaller is a person who abstains from consuming alcoholic beverages, either by choice or as a matter of principle. The word can also refer generally to someone who does not drink alcohol.
- A person who abstains from drinking alcoholic beverages, especially by choice or principle.
"She has been a teetotaller since childhood, preferring sparkling water to alcohol at social gatherings."
"The teetotaller declined the bartender's offer of a beer."
"As a committed teetotaller, James brought his own non-alcoholic drinks to the party."
The standard plural of teetotaller is teetotallers; in American spelling, teetotalers is also common.
"Several teetotallers gathered for the non-alcoholic tasting."
Born from the temperance movement, teetotaller once carried a strong social label and now remains a distinctive term for someone who never drinks alcohol.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does teetotaller come from?
Teetotaller is derived from teetotal, an early nineteenth-century term associated with the temperance movement and total abstinence from alcohol. The formation is generally understood as a playful combination involving tee, an older spelling of tea, and total. The addition of the suffix -er later produced the noun teetotaller, meaning a person who abstains; related forms include teetotally and teetotalism.
How teetotaller is actually used
The term is common in British English and is also used in American English, although the spelling teetotaler is more common in the United States. It may sound more formal or traditional than non-drinker and can imply a deliberate or principled choice.
Easily confused with teetotaller
Teetotal is an adjective describing abstinence from alcohol, whereas teetotaller is a noun for the person who abstains.