sober-minded
|so-ber-mind-ed|
🇺🇸
/ˈsoʊbərˌmaɪndɪd/
🇬🇧
/ˈsəʊbəˌmaɪndɪd/
clear, serious thinking
Etymology
'sober-minded' originates from Modern English as a compound of 'sober' and 'minded'. 'sober' ultimately comes from Old French 'sobre' (from Latin 'sobrius'), where the root meant 'not drunk' or 'temperate'; 'minded' is formed from 'mind' plus the adjectival/participial suffix '-ed'.
'sober' passed into Middle English from Old French 'sobre' (from Latin 'sobrius'), while 'mind' comes from Old English 'gemynd' (meaning 'memory' or 'thought'); over time the components combined in Modern English into the compound adjective 'sober-minded'.
Initially the elements referred to being 'not drunk' (sobriety) and having a 'mind' or memory; over time the compound came to mean 'having calm, sensible, and clear-headed judgment' rather than simply 'not intoxicated'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
having or showing calm, sensible, and clear-headed judgment; not easily excited or carried away.
In the meeting she remained sober-minded and offered practical solutions.
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Adjective 2
not intoxicated; having a mind unimpaired by alcohol (less common; usually used to emphasize mental sobriety).
He was sober-minded after the accident and clearly explained what had happened.
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Last updated: 2025/12/30 15:02