Meanings
plural alcoholisms
- uncountableusuallyA chronic disease caused by compulsive and uncontrollable consumption of alcoholic beverages, leading to addiction and deterioration in health and social functioning.
chronic alcoholism
4 more examples
struggle with alcoholism
effects of alcoholism
He sought treatment for alcoholism at a rehabilitation clinic.
Alcoholism can lead to serious health problems.
Synonyms: dipsomania
- uncountableusuallymedicineAcute alcohol poisoning.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA chronic disease caused by compulsive and uncontrollable consumption of alcoholic beverages, leading to addiction and deterioration in health and social functioning.
More synonyms by meaning
nounhabitual intoxication; prolonged and excessive intake of alcoholic drinks leading to a breakdown in health and an addiction to alcohol such that abrupt deprivation leads to severe withdrawal symptoms
nounan intense persistent desire to drink alcoholic beverages to excess
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Akkadian𒎎𒋆𒁉𒍣𒁕 (guḫlum)
- Aramaicכוחלא (kuḥlā)
- Arabicكُحْل (kuḥl)
- Andalusian Arabicكُحُول (kuḥūl)
- Medieval Latinalcoho
- Middle Englishalcofol
- Englishalcohol
- Englishalcoholism
From alcohol + -ism. Derived from New Latin alcoholismus chronicus, coined by the Swedish professor of medicine Magnus Huss in 1849.
More words from New Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic كُحُولِيَّة
- كُحُولِيَّة (kuḥūliyya)chronic disease
Bulgarian алкохоли́зъм, алкохолно отравяне
- алкохоли́зъм (alkoholízăm)chronic disease
- алкохолно отравяне (alkoholno otravjane)acute alcohol poisoning
Catalan alcoholisme, alcoholisme
- alcoholismechronic disease
- alcoholismeacute alcohol poisoning
Chinese Mandarin 酗酒, 醇類中毒 /醇类中毒
- 酗酒 (xùjiǔ)chronic disease
- 醇類中毒 /醇类中毒 (chúnlèi zhòngdú)acute alcohol poisoning
- 醇中毒 (chúnzhòngdú)acute alcohol poisoning
- 酒精中毒 (jiǔjīng zhòngdú)acute alcohol poisoning
Czech alkoholismus, alkoholizmus
- alkoholismuschronic disease
- alkoholizmuschronic disease
- otrava alkoholemacute alcohol poisoning
Danish alkoholisme
- alkoholismechronic disease
Dutch alcoholisme, drankzucht
- alcoholismechronic disease
- drankzuchtchronic disease
Esperanto alkoholismo
- alkoholismochronic disease
Estonian alkoholism
- alkoholismchronic disease
Finnish alkoholismi, alkoholimyrkytys
- alkoholismichronic disease
- alkoholimyrkytysacute alcohol poisoning
French alcoolisme
- alcoolismechronic disease
German Alkoholismus, Alkoholkrankheit
- Alkoholismuschronic disease
- Alkoholkrankheitchronic disease
- Alkoholvergiftungacute alcohol poisoning
Greek αλκοολισμός, οξεία δηλητηρίαση από αιθανόλη
- αλκοολισμός (alkoolismós)chronic disease
- οξεία δηλητηρίαση από αιθανόλη (oxeía dilitiríasi apó aithanóli)acute alcohol poisoning
Hindi शराबीपन
- शराबीपन (śarābīpan)chronic disease
Hungarian alkoholizmus
- alkoholizmuschronic disease
Indonesian alkoholisme
- alkoholismechronic disease
Italian alcolismo, etilismo
- alcolismochronic disease
- etilismochronic disease
Japanese アルコール依存症, アル中
- アルコール依存症 (arukōru izonshō)chronic disease
- アル中 (aruchū)chronic disease
- アルコール中毒 (arukōru chūdoku)acute alcohol poisoning
Korean 알코올 의존증, 알코올 중독
- 알코올 의존증 (alkool uijonjeung)chronic disease
- 알코올 중독 (alkool jungdok)acute alcohol poisoning
Māori wara(nga) waipiro
- wara(nga) waipirochronic disease
Polish alkoholizm, pijaństwo
- alkoholizmchronic disease
- pijaństwochronic disease
Portuguese alcoolismo, etilismo
- alcoolismochronic disease
- etilismochronic disease
- intoxicação alcoólicaacute alcohol poisoning
Romanian alcoolism
- alcoolismchronic disease
Russian алкоголи́зм, алкого́льное отравле́ние
- алкоголи́зм (alkogolízm)chronic disease
- алкого́льное отравле́ние (alkogólʹnoje otravlénije)acute alcohol poisoning
Scottish Gaelic tinneas na dighe
- tinneas na dighechronic disease
Slovak alkoholizmus
- alkoholizmuschronic disease
Spanish alcoholismo, bebedera
- alcoholismochronic disease
- bebederachronic disease
- alcoholismoacute alcohol poisoning
Swedish alkoholism, alkoholförgiftning
- alkoholismchronic disease
- alkoholförgiftningacute alcohol poisoning
Thai โรคพิษสุราเรื้อรัง
- โรคพิษสุราเรื้อรัง (rôok-pít-sù-raa-rʉ́ʉa-rang)chronic disease
Turkish alkoliklik, alkolizm
- alkoliklikchronic disease
- alkolizmacute alcohol poisoning
Ukrainian алкоголі́зм, алкого́льне отру́єння
- алкоголі́зм (alkoholízm)chronic disease
- алкого́льне отру́єння (alkohólʹne otrújennja)acute alcohol poisoning
Vietnamese chứng nghiện rượu
- chứng nghiện rượuchronic disease
Yiddish אַלקאָהאָליזם
- אַלקאָהאָליזם (alkoholizm)chronic disease
Cite this entry
alcoholism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alcoholism
“alcoholism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alcoholism. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “alcoholism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/alcoholism.
Source: alcoholism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.