What does teetotalling mean?
Teetotalling is the practice of abstaining completely from alcohol, and the word can also describe a person, group, or principle that does so. Unlike temperance, which generally permits moderate drinking, teetotalling implies abstention rather than moderation. In noun use, it often names a habit, lifestyle, or collective principle: “Her teetotalling during pregnancy was a matter of personal choice.” As a modifier, phrases such as “a teetotalling community” describe communities organized around avoiding alcohol. The term is especially associated with the nineteenth-century temperance movement, whose advocates promoted “total abstinence,” but it remains current in discussions of health, religion, recovery, and social identity. The double-l spelling is chiefly British, while American English also uses “teetotaling.” Teetotalling is usually neutral in modern use, though its historical connection with moral campaigns and political organizing can lend it a more committed or old-fashioned tone than simply saying “not drinking alcohol.”
The practice or condition of abstaining completely from alcoholic drink.
"His teetotalling began after recovering from an alcohol-related illness."
The noun is commonly used as a mass noun for a habit, lifestyle, or collective practice.
Characterized by complete abstinence from alcoholic drink.
"The restaurant caters to a largely teetotalling clientele."
This adjectival use is especially common before nouns such as “community,” “society,” and “principles.”
Rare; teetotalling is normally used in the singular or as an uncountable noun.
"The accounts compared the teetotallings of several historical figures."
Teetotalling began as a movement slogan: in the 1830s, advocates of total abstinence coined a term that made a moral campaign sound like a bold new idea.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does teetotalling come from?
The English word teetotalling developed during the 19th century from teetotal, itself formed in the temperance movement around the phrase “total abstain” and the early spelling “T-total.” The precise origin of the extra initial T has been debated, with an association with “temperance” often suggested. The same base produced forms such as teetotaller and teetotalism, as well as the American spelling teetotaling.
Related word forms
How teetotalling is actually used
The double-l spelling is chiefly British, while American English also uses “teetotaling.” The word is generally neutral in modern usage, although its historical association with organized temperance campaigns can give it a more committed or old-fashioned tone.
Easily confused with teetotalling
A teetotaller is a person who abstains from alcohol, whereas teetotalling denotes the practice or state of abstaining.