Meaning & use

alcoholic

noun·Academic

A person who regularly drinks too much alcohol and is unable to control or stop the habit.

See it in a sentence

He joined a support group after finally admitting he was an alcoholic.

Growing up with an alcoholic parent affected how she trusted people later in life.

A note on using this word

As an adjective, 'alcoholic' simply describes a drink that contains alcohol, such as 'an alcoholic beverage'.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. adjective

Containing or relating to alcohol.

The bar offered both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of the cocktail.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “alcoholic”, then compare your use with the examples above.

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