Definition

1. Noun:
   • A temporary state resulting from excessive consumption of alcohol: The condition of being drunk or intoxicated by alcohol.
   • Habitual drunkenness; intoxication: A more formal or literary term for the state of being inebriated, often implying a habitual condition.

Usage and Examples

• Noun:
  • The party led to a state of complete inebriety for some guests.
  • His chronic inebriety began to affect his work and personal relationships.
  • The police officer noted signs of inebriety in the driver.

Advanced Usage

• Legal/Formal Context: Often used in formal, medical, or legal writing to describe intoxication.
  • The court document cited the defendant's inebriety as a contributing factor to the incident.
• Literary Use: Employed in literature to convey drunkenness with a formal or archaic tone.
  • The poet described the character's descent into moral decay through his inebriety.

Variants and Related Words

• Inebriate (verb/noun): To make drunk; a drunkard.
  • Verb: The strong liquor quickly inebriated him.
  • Noun: The shelter provided help for homeless inebriates.
• Inebriation (noun): The act of intoxicating or the state of being intoxicated; often used interchangeably with "inebriety."
  • The scientific study measured the effects of inebriation on reaction times.
• Inebriated (adjective): Drunk; intoxicated.
  • He was clearly inebriated and unable to walk straight.

Synonyms

• Intoxication: The state of being affected by alcohol or drugs.
• Drunkenness: The condition of being drunk.
• Inebriation: The state of being inebriated.
• Tipsiness: Mild drunkenness.

Antonyms

• Sobriety: The state of not being under the influence of alcohol; being sober.
• Abstinence: The practice of restraining oneself from indulging in something, typically alcohol.

Notes on Usage

• Register: "Inebriety" is a formal word. In everyday conversation, words like "drunkenness" or "being drunk" are more common.
• Connotation: It can carry a negative connotation, often associated with loss of control or a serious condition, especially when referring to habitual drunkenness. It is less judgmental than terms like "drunkenness" in some formal contexts.

Noun

1. a temporary state resulting from excessive consumption of alcohol