sobriedad
/sobɾjeˈdad/feminine
The English word sobriety is translated into Spanish as sobriedad.
sobriedad refers to the state of not being intoxicated. Like in English, it can also describe the quality of being temperate or moderate in behavior. In medical and psychological contexts, the word Abstinencia can also be used to imply sobriety.
Meaning: quality or state of not being intoxicated (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and Argentina, sobriedad is most commonly used both formally and informally.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun sobriedad is feminine and requires the feminine article la (la sobriedad).
How do you pronounce it?
/sobɾjeˈdad/
Did you know?
- While sobriedad describes the state of being sober, the word sobrio can also be used in Spanish to describe a person's clothing style if it is simple and lacks ornamentation.
- Spanish speakers may use the phrase estar sobrio to mean they are not drunk, but they use ser sobrio to describe someone who is naturally a temperate person.
- The English word 'sobriety' and the Spanish word sobriedad are linguistic-cousins, both descending from the Latin 'sobrietas'.
Examples in context
- Su sobriedad es admirableHis/her sobriety is admirable
- Llevo varios años en abstinenciaI have been sober for several years
- Decidí dejar de beber y comenzar mi camino hacia la sobriedad.I decided to stop drinking and start my journey to sobriety.
- Su lucha contra la adicción es admirable. Lleva años en abstinencia.His/her fight against addiction is admirable, he/she has been sober for years.
- Ha mantenido su sobriedad durante años.He has maintained his sobriety for years.
- Su sobriedad es muy impresionante.His sobriety is very impressive.
- Ella recuperó su sobriedad tras el incidente.She regained her sobriety after the incident.
- La sobriedad es clave para su recuperación.Sobriety is key to his recovery.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking about a mutual friend's progress.
- Lucía¿Cómo va la recuperación de Juan?How is Juan's recovery going?
- MateoÉl mantiene su sobriedad con mucho esfuerzo.He maintains his sobriety with a lot of effort.
- LucíaMe alegra mucho saber eso.I am very happy to know that.
- MateoÉl es un hombre muy fuerte.He is a very strong man.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sobriety” translations and entries sobriedad, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sobriedad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
