sobriety

noun

so·​bri·​ety sə-ˈbrī-ə-tē How to pronounce sobriety (audio)
sō-
Synonyms of sobriety
: the quality or state of being sober

Synonyms of sobriety

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Examples of sobriety in a Sentence

They did a sobriety test on him. the sobriety of the situation
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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.
Josh Brolin starts his mornings with a commitment to sobriety. — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 For their winning project, the duo, who live and work between Paris and Luxembourg, collected sobriety tokens from members of abstinence groups, which represent the amount of time a person has been sober. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 But doctors and therapists who treat drug and behavioral addictions have been steadily shifting away from sobriety to emphasize gradual progress and a reduction of harm instead. — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 At police headquarters, Martin allegedly refused to take a field sobriety test and to provide a statement. — Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sobriety

Word History

Etymology

Middle English sobrete, from Anglo-French sobreté, from Latin sobrietat-, sobrietas, from sobrius

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of sobriety was in the 15th century

Rhymes for sobriety

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Browse Nearby Words

sobrerol
sobriety
sobriquet
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Cite this Entry

“Sobriety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sobriety. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sobriety

noun
so·​bri·​ety sə-ˈbrī-ət-ē How to pronounce sobriety (audio)
: the quality or state of being sober
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