teetotaler

noun

tee·​to·​tal·​er ˈtē-ˈtō-tᵊl-ər How to pronounce teetotaler (audio)
-ˌtō-
variants or teetotaller
: one who practices or advocates teetotalism

Did you know?

A person who abstains from alcohol might choose tea as his or her alternative beverage, but the word teetotaler has nothing to do with tea. More likely, the "tee" that begins the word teetotal is a reduplication of the letter "t" that begins total, emphasizing that one has pledged total abstinence. In the early 1800s, tee-total and tee-totally were used to intensify total and totally, much the way we now might say, "I'm tired with a capital T." "I am now … wholly, solely, and teetotally absorbed in Wayne's business," wrote the folklorist Parson Weems in an 1807 letter. Teetotal and teetotaler first appeared with their current meanings in 1834, eight years after the formation of the American Temperance Society.

Examples of teetotaler in a Sentence

in a quandary about what to serve for the wedding toast since his future in-laws are teetotalers
Recent Examples on the Web There’s Ted Nugent — brash right-winger, Donald Trump advocate and lifelong teetotaler. Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 4 Feb. 2024 Yet a common experience has emerged among this new cohort of teetotalers, industry experts say: sticker shock at the price of their nonalcoholic beverages. Rob Wile, NBC News, 13 Jan. 2024 Here, Kirsten, who starts off as a teetotaler before descending into a boozy abyss, requires O’Hara to hit notes of deep despair. Brent Lang, Variety, 1 Feb. 2024 Along with May, a lifelong teetotaler, Mal struggled to keep the troops in order and working toward the common goal of righting Harry's career. Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 31 Oct. 2023 The late Harry Reid, another teetotaler and a Senate leader when Pelosi was speaker, had a Dead poster signed by the entire band hanging in his home in Searchlight, Nev. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2023 The biggest change: teetotalers aren’t the only ones ordering them. Monica Khemsurov, New York Times, 28 July 2023 And what the film doesn’t spotlight is that Robert was hardly a teetotaler himself. Vulture, 25 July 2023 Alcohol is available in bars and clubs in the United Arab Emirates, the federation of seven sheikhdoms that includes Dubai, but the Muslim country has a large population of teetotalers. Nick El Hajj, BostonGlobe.com, 15 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'teetotaler.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of teetotaler was in 1834

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Dictionary Entries Near teetotaler

Cite this Entry

“Teetotaler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teetotaler. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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