alcoholism

noun

al·​co·​hol·​ism ˈal-kə-ˌhȯ-ˌli-zəm 

-kə-hə-

1

: continued excessive or compulsive use of alcoholic drinks

2

a

: a chronic, progressive, potentially fatal disorder marked by excessive and usually compulsive drinking of alcohol leading to psychological and physical dependence or addiction

Note: Alcoholism is typically characterized by the inability to control alcoholic drinking, impairment of the ability to work and socialize, tendency to drink alone and engage in violent behavior, neglect of physical appearance and proper nutrition, alcohol-related illness (such as hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver), and moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms (such as irritability, anxiety, tremors, insomnia, and confusion) upon detoxification.

b

: acute alcohol poisoning resulting from the usually rapid consumption of excessive alcoholic beverages

Synonyms

• drunkenness

Examples of alcoholism in a Sentence

a treatment center for those suffering from alcoholism

Recent Examples on the Web

His father died from kidney cancer when the singer was 9, he was bullied in high school, and was kicked out of the house by his mother, who struggled with alcoholism, at 17. —USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025

Brilliant but famously difficult to work with due to his alcoholism, Lorenz Hart died the year after his collaborator Richard Rodgers launched his successful creative partnership with Oscar Hammerstein. —Samantha Allen, Them., 2 Sep. 2025

Fuller, who had an absent father and mother with alcoholism, was in a crash in 2019 that left him permanently disabled and he's also been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. —Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025

You’ll be engrossed and saddened by the backstory to Jason Kaminsky, the one-time Nottingham Forest prospect who suffered from alcoholism and died in 2005, aged just 31. —Phil Hay, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing alcoholism

• anti-alcoholism

Rhymes for alcoholism

• activism
• ageism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism

Kids Definition

alcoholism

noun

al·​co·​hol·​ism ˈal-kə-ˌhȯ-ˌliz-əm 

: continued, uncontrolled, and greater than normal use of alcoholic drinks

also : an abnormal bodily state associated with such use

Medical Definition

alcoholism

noun

al·​co·​hol·​ism ˈal-kə-ˌhȯ-ˌliz-əm, -kə-hə- 

1

: continued excessive or compulsive use of alcoholic drinks

2

: a chronic, progressive, potentially fatal disorder marked by excessive and usually compulsive drinking of alcohol leading to psychological and physical dependence or addiction

Note: Alcoholism is typically characterized by the inability to control alcoholic drinking, impairment of the ability to work and socialize, tendency to drink alone and engage in violent behavior, neglect of physical appearance and proper nutrition, alcohol-related illness (such as hepatitis or cirrhosis of the liver), and moderate to severe withdrawal symptoms (such as irritability, anxiety, tremors, insomnia, and confusion) upon detoxification.

compare acute alcoholism