SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
sobriety
noun
Freedom from intoxication; also seriousness or restraint.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Freedom from intoxication
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topSobriety can mean being un-intoxicated at a moment or sustained abstinence. Temperance and moderation may permit limited consumption, so they are not identical in every context.
Seriousness and restraint
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topThis sense describes tone or conduct. Earnestness adds sincere effort or conviction; decorum concerns appropriate outward behavior.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See sobriety in use
The ceremony's sobriety contrasted with the noisy celebration outside.
Sobriety on duty was an explicit condition in the fictional harbor manual, meaning that crew members were to be free from intoxication.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license