sobriety

noun

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

Examples of sobriety in a Sentence

They did a sobriety test on him. the sobriety of the situation
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.
Celebrating his first year of sobriety in 2017, Neal shared a message on Instagram, thanking Ruvé for her guidance. Jane Lacroix, People.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Stonier reportedly failed field sobriety testing at the scene and was taken into custody, the warrant affidavit said. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2025 That idea cuts against the narrow definition of sobriety that America’s addiction model was—and to a large extent still is—built on. Ethan Brooks, The Atlantic, 23 Apr. 2025 After nearly 30 minutes, Fackler agrees to get out of the car, and then goes on to fail multiple sobriety tests, the Daily Voice reported. Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 22 Apr. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sobriety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sobriety. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

sobriety

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

More from Merriam-Webster on sobriety

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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