SOFT DRINK. So called in contrast to alcoholic beverages, which are "hard drinks". Any carbonated, usually sweet, non-alcoholic drink. (In this sense, juice, milk, tea and coffee are not soft drinks.)

Why do they call it a soft drink?

<img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Soft_drinks_800x600.jpg/250px-Soft_drinks_800x600.jpg" width="250" height="186"><div class="caption">Soft drinks in a Virginia supermarket</div><OL><LI>Any <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/carbonated" title="carbonated" dir="ltr">carbonated</a>, usually <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/sweet" title="sweet" dir="ltr">sweet</a>, non-<a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/alcoholic" title="alcoholic" dir="ltr">alcoholic</a> drink. (In this sense, <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/juice" title="juice" dir="ltr">juice</a>, <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/milk" title="milk" dir="ltr">milk</a>, <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/tea" title="tea" dir="ltr">tea</a> and <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/coffee" title="coffee" dir="ltr">coffee</a> are not soft drinks.)</LI><LI>(broadly speaking) Any non-<a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/alcoholic" title="alcoholic" dir="ltr">alcoholic</a> drink.
<a role="button" tabindex="0" dir="ltr">quotations&nbsp;▼</a></LI></OL><h4>Hyponyms</h4><UL><LI><a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/coke#English" title="coke" dir="ltr">coke</a> (most common term in the Southeastern US)<a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soft_drink#cite_note-Campbell-1" dir="ltr">[1]</a><a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soft_drink#cite_note-DialectSurvey-2" dir="ltr">[2]</a></LI><LI><a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/pop#English" title="pop" dir="ltr">pop</a> (most common term in Canada and the upper West and upper Midwest of the US, including western WI, most of IL including Chicago, MI, IN, OH, WV and western PA)<a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soft_drink#cite_note-Campbell-1" dir="ltr">[1]</a><a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soft_drink#cite_note-DialectSurvey-2" dir="ltr">[2]</a></LI><LI><a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soda#English" title="soda" dir="ltr">soda</a> (most common term in HI, CA, eastern MO, southwestern IL, eastern WI and New England)<a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soft_drink#cite_note-Campbell-1" dir="ltr">[1]</a><a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soft_drink#cite_note-DialectSurvey-2" dir="ltr">[2]</a></LI></UL>

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<ol><li>Any <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/carbonated">carbonated </a>, usually <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/sweet">sweet </a>, non-<a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/alcoholic">alcoholic </a>drink. ( In this sense, <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/juice">juice </a>, <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/milk">milk </a>, <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/tea">tea </a>and <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/coffee">coffee </a>are not soft drinks. ) </li><li>( broadly speaking ) Any non-<a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/alcoholic">alcoholic </a>drink. <a>quotations ▼ </a> </li> </ol>

<ul><li><a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/coke#English">coke </a> ( most common term in the Southeastern US ) <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soft_drink#cite_note-Campbell-1">[1] </a> <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soft_drink#cite_note-DialectSurvey-2">[2] </a> </li><li><a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/pop#English">pop </a> ( most common term in Canada and the upper West and upper Midwest of the US, including western WI, most of IL including Chicago, MI, IN, OH, WV and western PA ) <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soft_drink#cite_note-Campbell-1">[1] </a> <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soft_drink#cite_note-DialectSurvey-2">[2] </a> </li><li><a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soda#English">soda </a> ( most common term in HI, CA, eastern MO, southwestern IL, eastern WI and New England ) <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soft_drink#cite_note-Campbell-1">[1] </a> <a href="https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/soft_drink#cite_note-DialectSurvey-2">[2] </a> </li> </ul>

soft drink - Wiktionary

Why do they call it a soft drink?

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