English noun: alcoholism | |||
1. | alcoholism (state) habitual 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 | ||
Synonyms | alcohol addiction, drunkenness, inebriation | ||
Broader (hypernym) | drug addiction, white plague | ||
2. | alcoholism (motive) an intense persistent desire to drink alcoholic beverages to excess | ||
Synonyms | dipsomania, potomania | ||
Broader (hypernym) | cacoethes, mania, passion | ||