alcoholic

1 of 2

adjective

al·​co·​hol·​ic ˌal-kə-ˈhȯ-lik How to pronounce alcoholic (audio)
-ˈhä-
Synonyms of alcoholicnext
1
a
: of, relating to, or caused by alcohol
an alcoholic odor
b
: containing alcohol
an alcoholic beverage
2
: affected with alcoholism
alcoholically
ˌal-kə-ˈhȯ-li-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce alcoholic (audio)
-ˈhä-
adverb

alcoholic

2 of 2

noun

: a person affected with alcoholism

Synonyms of alcoholic

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Munyon's Paw-Paw, an alcoholic beverage dating to the early 1900s, has been resurrected by two longtime spirits industry veterans who stumbled upon its unusual history during a family outing. — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The motor coach bus is equipped with reclining seats and onboard restrooms, with food and alcoholic beverages permitted. — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
Noun
Premiering in 2013, Faris starred in the first seven seasons of Mom as Christy, a recovering alcoholic who struggles to maintain a job, her family and her sobriety as her mom Bonnie (Allison Janney), who’s also in recovery, moves in with her. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026 The answers to these questions are very important to our community of addicts and alcoholics, both in and out of recovery. — David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for alcoholic

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1852, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of alcoholic was in 1789

Rhymes for alcoholic

See All Rhymes for alcoholic

Browse Nearby Words

alcohol by volume
alcoholic
alcoholism
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Alcoholic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alcoholic. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

alcoholic

1 of 2 adjective
al·​co·​hol·​ic ˌal-kə-ˈhȯl-ik How to pronounce alcoholic (audio)
-ˈhäl-
1
: of, relating to, or containing alcohol
2
: affected with alcoholism
alcoholically
-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce alcoholic (audio)
adverb

alcoholic

2 of 2 noun
: a person affected with alcoholism

Medical Definition

alcoholic

1 of 2 adjective
al·​co·​hol·​ic ˌal-kə-ˈhȯl-ik, -ˈhäl- How to pronounce alcoholic (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or caused by alcohol
alcoholic hepatitis
b
: containing alcohol
2
: affected with alcoholism
alcoholically
-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce alcoholic (audio)
adverb

alcoholic

2 of 2 noun
: one affected with alcoholism
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All