這些單詞均有“酗酒者”的含義。其中，alcoholic和drunkard 為通用詞； 相比之下，alcoholic指酒精中毒病人或酗酒成性者，其比drunkard更為正式和中性，多從醫(yī)學(xué)角度指無法控制其酒量者，故為更常用的法律詞匯[1]。drunkard則常帶有譴責(zé)的含義，指經(jīng)常過度飲酒而醉者[2]。drunk為drunkard的縮寫，因而便更不正式，同時其譴責(zé)和鄙視的程度也就更多[3]。inebriate為 一技術(shù)性術(shù)語，指當(dāng)時正處于醉酒狀態(tài)者[4]，該術(shù)語現(xiàn)已顯得有些過時守舊，多被alcoholic所取代。
 
[1] "A person who suffers from the illness of alcoholism. ” Cf. Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Amendment Act (Canada)，S. A. 1985，c. 6, s. 3.
[2] "Drunkard carries a tone of condemnation and can apply justly only to someone who frequently drinks past the point of sobriety. ” Cf. The Editors of the Reader's Digest, Use the Right Word, at p. 11 , The Reader's Digest Association Proprietary Ltd. (1971).
[3] "Drunk is, of couree, a shortening of drunkard, having greater informality than the
latter and a tone of even greater contempt. ” Id. at p. 11,
[4] "A person under the influence of or addicted to the use of intoxicating liquors. ” Cf. The Publisher's Editorial Staff, Black's Law Dictionary, abridged 6th edition, at p. 535, West Publishing Co. (1991).