The official definition
Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship
People come together to address a shared drinking problem and help one another recover from alcoholism. Members draw on shared experience rather than professional authority.
“We are people who have discovered and admitted that we cannot control alcohol.”Read “What Is A.A.?” on AA.org
What A.A. is
- A fellowship of people with a common problem.
- Peer support based on members’ experience, strength, and hope.
- A voluntary program centered on sobriety and helping others.
- Self-supporting through members’ own contributions.
What A.A. is not
- Not professional treatment, diagnosis, or medical care.
- Not allied with a religion, political organization, institution, or outside cause.
- Not a membership drive; A.A. welcomes people but does not recruit them.
- Not a requirement to disclose a personal history or speak at a meeting.
Membership
The decision belongs to the individual
A.A. does not keep an attendance-based membership file. The official newcomer literature says a person is an A.A. member when they say they are, and identifies a desire to stop drinking as the membership requirement.
“The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.”
Continue in order
From definition to first meeting
These are the four directly relevant pages from this 16-page section.
Official web source
What Is A.A.?
The short official overview defines the Fellowship, membership, and primary purpose.
Open on AA.org
Conference-approved pamphlet · P-2
Frequently Asked Questions About A.A.
Forty pages covering membership, meetings, recovery, anonymity, families, professionals, and how to obtain help.
Source record: Official material reviewed August 13, 2026. Quotations are labeled; the surrounding explanation is a plain-language synthesis.