sobriety

S1O1B3R1I1E1T1Y4
UK/səˈbɹaɪ.ɪ.ti/Canada, US/səˈbɹaɪ.ə.ti/Canada, US[səˈbɹaɪ.ə.ɾi]Australia/səˈbɹɑɪ.ə.ti/

noun

The quality or state of being sober.

“maintain sobriety”

Similar
sobernessdrynessgravenessgravitysombernesssombrenesstemperance
Opposite
drunkennessintoxication
OriginOld French sobriete ← Latin sobrietas →
Less commonScrabble 13
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Meanings

nounsobriety (countable and uncountable, plural sobrieties)

plural sobrieties

  1. countableuncountableThe quality or state of being sober.

    maintain sobriety

    3 more examples

    He celebrated five years of sobriety.

    The judge spoke with calm sobriety about the case.

    period of sobriety

    1. countableuncountableThe quality or state of not being intoxicated.

      Synonyms: soberness

    2. countableuncountableThe quality or state of being grave or earnestly thoughtful.
    3. countableuncountableThe state or quality of being unhurried; a state of calm.
    4. countableuncountableA state of moderation or seriousness.
    5. countableuncountableModesty in color or style.
  2. countableuncountableSoundness of judgment.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe quality or state of not being intoxicated.

Similar
soberness

antonym(s) of

Opposite
drunkenness
Opposite
intoxication

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe state of being sober and not intoxicated by alcohol

Similar
soberness
Broader
temporary state

nounmoderation in or abstinence from alcohol or other drugs

Similar
dryness
Broader
temperancemoderation

nouna manner that is serious and solemn

Similar
gravenessgravitysobernesssombernesssombreness
Broader
seriousnessearnestnessserious-mindedness

nounabstaining from excess

Similar
temperance
Broader
abstinence
Also see
drynessgravenessgravityseriousnesssobernesssombernesstemperance

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinsobrietas
  2. Old Frenchsobriete
  3. Englishsobriety

From Old French sobriete, from Latin sobrietas.

More words from Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans nugterheid
  • nugterheidquality or state of not being intoxicated
Ancient Greek νηφαλισμός
  • νηφαλισμός (nēphalismós)quality or state of not being intoxicated
Bulgarian трезвеност
  • трезвеност (trezvenost)quality or state of being sober
Czech střízlivost, střízlivost
  • střízlivostquality or state of not being intoxicated
  • střízlivostquality or state of being sober
Danish ædruelighed
  • ædruelighedquality or state of not being intoxicated
Dutch nuchterheid, nuchterheid
  • nuchterheidquality or state of not being intoxicated
  • nuchterheidquality or state of being sober
Finnish raittius, selvyys
  • raittiusquality or state of not being intoxicated
  • selvyysquality or state of not being intoxicated
  • selvyysquality or state of being sober
French sobriété
  • sobriétéquality or state of being sober
German Nüchternheit, Nüchternheit
  • Nüchternheitquality or state of not being intoxicated
  • Nüchternheitquality or state of being sober
  • Ernsthaftigkeitquality or state of being sober
  • Gedecktheitquality or state of being sober
Greek νηφαλιότητα, νηφαλιότητα
  • νηφαλιότητα (nifaliótita)quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • νηφαλιότητα (nifaliótita)quality or state of being sober
Hungarian józanság
  • józanságquality or state of being sober
Italian sobrietà, sobrietà
  • sobrietàquality or state of not being intoxicated
  • sobrietàquality or state of being sober
Japanese しらふ, しらふ
  • しらふ (shirafu)quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • しらふ (shirafu)quality or state of being sober
Latin sōbrietās
  • sōbrietāsquality or state of being sober
Norwegian Bokmål edruelighet
  • edruelighetquality or state of not being intoxicated
Portuguese sobriedade, sobriedade
  • sobriedadequality or state of not being intoxicated
  • sobriedadequality or state of being sober
  • austeridadequality or state of being sober
Romanian sobrietate, cumpătare
  • sobrietatequality or state of being sober
  • cumpătarequality or state of being sober
Russian тре́звость, тре́звость
  • тре́звость (trézvostʹ)quality or state of not being intoxicated
  • тре́звость (trézvostʹ)quality or state of being sober
Slovak triezvosť, triezvosť
  • triezvosťquality or state of not being intoxicated
  • triezvosťquality or state of being sober
Spanish sobriedad, austeridad
  • sobriedadquality or state of not being intoxicated
  • austeridadquality or state of being sober
  • sobriedadquality or state of being sober
Swedish nykterhet, nykterhet
  • nykterhetquality or state of not being intoxicated
  • nykterhetquality or state of being sober
Turkish ayıklık, ayıklık
  • ayıklıkquality or state of not being intoxicated
  • ayıklıkquality or state of being sober
Ukrainian твере́зість
  • твере́зість (tverézistʹ)quality or state of being sober

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with sobriety

varietypietyproprietynotorietysatietyimpietyebrietyhangxiety
All rhymes →

Anagrams

sorbyite
Cite this entry
APA

sobriety. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sobriety

MLA

“sobriety.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sobriety. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sobriety,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sobriety.

Source: sobriety on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.