alcoholic

adjective

al·co·hol·ic | \ ˌal-kə-ˈhȯ-lik

, -ˈhä-\

Definition of alcoholic

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : of, relating to, or caused by alcohol an alcoholic odor

b : containing alcohol an alcoholic beverage

2 : affected with alcoholism

alcoholic

noun

Definition of alcoholic (Entry 2 of 2)

: a person affected with alcoholism

Other Words from alcoholic Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about alcoholic

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Examples of alcoholic in a Sentence

Adjective

a slightly more alcoholic wine She has an alcoholic uncle.

Noun

Her uncle is an alcoholic. one can be a social drinker without turning into an alcoholic

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Volumes of ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages jumped 6.1% last year, according to IWSR, driven by hard seltzers, which executives say appeal to consumers because of their low calories and sugar. — Jennifer Maloney, WSJ, "As Americans Drink Less Alcohol, Booze Makers Look Beyond the Barrel," 17 Jan. 2019 All the mead—an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, yeast, and other fruits and spices—is made in-house. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "9 Celebrity Owned Bars That Are Worth the Hype," 20 Dec. 2018 Instead, friendly attendants pass by to offer beverages (alcoholic and non) and snacks for purchase (from gourmet chips to Larabars). — Paul Rubio, Condé Nast Traveler, "Riding the Brightline, America’s Train of the Future," 25 Sep. 2018 Non-alcoholic options include mors, a traditional drink made from cranberries offering a characteristic sweet-and-sour experience. — James Ellingworth, Fox News, "Dining Russian-style at the World Cup," 7 June 2018 The starring character, Maeve Malloy, is a recovering alcoholic and former public defender gone into sobriety and private practice. — Nancy Lord, Anchorage Daily News, "In new mystery novel set in Anchorage, a killer in the homeless camp," 10 Mar. 2018 Neither Red Arrow nor Navigator offer non-alcoholic options on tap, but Red Arrow features draft cocktails, and Navigator has a normal bar in its main area. — Adam Lukach, RedEye Chicago, "New self-serve taprooms in Chicago invite you to pour your own beverage," 3 Oct. 2017 First, a flashback showed Jack and Nicky as children, waiting in the car for their alcoholic father. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "'This Is Us' Fans Have the Most Heartbreaking Theory About Jack's Brother Nicky," 26 Sep. 2018 Fonny grew up there, too, with his alcoholic father (Michael Beach), unforgivingly pietistic mother (Aunjanue Ellis), and judgmental sisters (Ebony Obsidian and Dominique Thorne). — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "If Beale Street Could Talk adapts James Baldwin’s novel into a haunting, gorgeous film," 18 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Rodolfo Ruperti, who heads the Palermo police operations squad, said the suspects would go to the Sicilian capital's train station to recruit drug addicts, alcoholics, the mentally disabled and poor people desperate for money. — Frances D'emilio, Fox News, "Police say Sicily gangsters crushed limbs in insurance fraud," 9 Aug. 2018 President Pierce was an alcoholic who died of cirrhosis of the liver. — Jennifer Wright, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why It's Impossible to Be a Likeable Female Politician," 11 Jan. 2019 Better yet, the sweet, fizzy drink is non-alcoholic, so visitors of all ages can enjoy. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "London’s Harry Potter Studio Tour Is Even More Magical in the Snow," 25 Dec. 2018 And my next novel centers on an alcoholic ensnared in a decade-long affair. — Sara Benincasa, Glamour, "I Had an Affair With a Married Man—and We Never Even Kissed," 18 Oct. 2018 In rural Kerala, coconut-palm sap is fermented into a funky alcoholic drink called toddy. — Max Falkowitz, WSJ, "Flake News: Fresh Coconut Is Delicious," 23 Nov. 2018 The volunteers would have been randomly assigned into two groups, one that consumed a single alcoholic drink every day for six years and one that abstained from alcohol every day for six years. — Joel Achenbach, The Seattle Times, "A huge clinical trial collapses, and research on alcohol remains befuddling," 6 Aug. 2018 After his fourth driving-while-intoxicated conviction in 2016, a San Antonio man tried to overturn his four-year prison sentence by arguing that Texas’ legal limit on intoxicated driving discriminates against alcoholics. — Chuck Lindell, ajc, "After 4th DWI, man argues legal limit discriminates against alcoholics," 12 Feb. 2018 With its frequent alcoholic ‘pours’ this Company suspiciously resembles the old Time Inc., for which Olsen was once Midwest bureau chief. — New York Times, "New & Noteworthy," 22 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alcoholic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.