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Glite Dictionary
teetotalist

teetotalist

7.6
A person who does not drink any alcohol
  • noun
  • /ˈtiːˌtoʊtəlɪst/
translation icon : abstemio
  • As a proud teetotalist, she always declined offers of wine at dinner parties.

Examples

  • He became a teetotalist after witnessing the effects of alcoholism in his family.

  • The club attracted many teetotalists who preferred socializing without alcohol.

  • She is a proud teetotalist.

  • Many teetotalists advocate for healthier lifestyles.

  • As a proud teetotalist, she always declined offers of wine at dinner parties.

  • He became a teetotalist after witnessing the negative effects of alcohol on his family.

  • The club attracted many teetotalists who enjoyed events without any alcoholic beverages.

Synonyms

teetotaler
vsteetotalist
  • US
5 7.5

A person who never drinks alcohol

is the same meaning but spelled in another common form
abstainer
vsteetotalist
1 5.4

A person who does not drink alcohol

implies total lifelong abstinence rather than a mere choice
nondrinker
vsteetotalist
1 4.8

A person who does not drink alcohol

specifies complete abstinence rather than simple nonuse
nonalcohol
vsteetotalist
5.8

A person who does not drink alcohol

emphasizes total complete abstention rather than general nonuse
abstinent
vsteetotalist
8.0

A person who does not drink alcohol

means complete abstention rather than temporary restraint

Antonyms

alcoholic
222 3.3

A person who is addicted to alcohol

drinker
83 1.8

A person who often drinks alcohol

How Abstinent

teetotalist
7.6
abstainer
1 5.4
drinker
83 1.8
alcoholic
222 3.3

Surface Forms

teetotalist singular
teetotalists plural

Morphology

teetotalist = teetotal (semi-transparent) = teetotal + ist

Formally created by adding the agentive suffix '-ist' to 'teetotal', which yields a clear agent noun, but 'teetotal' itself is historically irregular (from 'T-total') and may be nonobvious to learners.

Etymology

The word teetotalist grew from people saying t-total to stress the idea of total ('completely'), and a helpful way to remember it is to think of tea + total as a simple image. So a teetotalist is someone who 'does not drink' alcohol at all.