anal

adjective

\ˈā-nᵊl

Definition of anal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, situated near, or involving the anus an anal fin

2 psychoanalytic theory

a : of, relating to, characterized by, or being the stage of psychosexual development which follows the oral stage (see oral entry 1 sense 3) and during which the child is concerned especially with his or her feces

b : of, relating to, characterized by, or being personality traits (such as parsimony, meticulousness, and ill humor) considered typical of fixation at the anal stage of development : anal-retentive an anal disposition —often used in nontechnical contexts to describe someone as extremely or excessively neat, careful, or precise I have a mania for neatness in some matters that is almost anal.— Joseph Heller

anal

abbreviation

Definition of anal (Entry 2 of 2)

1 analogy

2 analysis; analytic

Other Words from anal More Example Sentences Learn More about anal

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of anal in a Sentence

Adjective

He can be pretty anal about keeping his office neat.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

The drawings — made on plastic plates — show a man hanging naked from chains while he is being subjected to electric shocks, another inmate on the floor surrounded by snarling dogs as several people kick him, and graphic depictions of anal rape. — Maggie Michael, Fox News, "In Yemen, 46 detainees released from UAE-controlled prison," 4 July 2018 The drawings — made on plastic plates — show a man hanging naked from chains while he is being subjected to electric shocks, another inmate on the floor surrounded by snarling dogs as several people kick him, and graphic depictions of anal rape. — Maggie Michael, Fox News, "In Yemen, 46 detainees released from UAE-controlled prison," 4 July 2018 The drawings — made on plastic plates — show a man hanging naked from chains while he is being subjected to electric shocks, another inmate on the floor surrounded by snarling dogs as several people kick him, and graphic depictions of anal rape. — Maggie Michael, Fox News, "In Yemen, 46 detainees released from UAE-controlled prison," 4 July 2018 The drawings — made on plastic plates — show a man hanging naked from chains while he is being subjected to electric shocks, another inmate on the floor surrounded by snarling dogs as several people kick him, and graphic depictions of anal rape. — Maggie Michael, Fox News, "In Yemen, 46 detainees released from UAE-controlled prison," 4 July 2018 In one incident in Aden’s Beir Ahmed prison, where al-Anbari was held, hundreds of inmates were forced to undress and Emirati officers searched their anal cavities on March 10, claiming to be looking for contraband cellphones. — Maggie Michael, The Seattle Times, "Yemen detainees free days after AP report on UAE-run prisons," 26 June 2018 The evil space pageant overlord is named Kevin Charles Patterson (the real founder of San Diego Fringe) and the acts auditioning for the pageant include some Globutes, who conduct an onstage anal probe on an unsuspecting audience member. — Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego International Fringe Festival gets off to a smooth and diverse start," 25 June 2018 The mannequins come with variable ages, features, and even programmable personalities, along with customizable oral, vaginal, and anal openings. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Sex robots with health benefits are a giant tease, experts warn," 5 June 2018 The drawings — made on plastic plates — show a man hanging naked from chains while he is being subjected to electric shocks, another inmate on the floor surrounded by snarling dogs as several people kick him, and graphic depictions of anal rape. — Maggie Michael, Fox News, "Sexual abuses rampant in UAE-controlled prisons in Yemen," 20 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about anal

Dictionary Entries near anal

a nail in the/someone's coffin

Statistics for anal

Last Updated

14 Oct 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for anal

The first known use of anal was in 1769

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for anal

anal

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of anal

biology : of, relating to, or located near the anus

: extremely or overly neat, careful, or precise

See the full definition for anal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

anal

adjective

\ˈā-nᵊl\

Kids Definition of anal

: relating to the anus

anal

adjective

\ˈān-ᵊl

Medical Definition of anal

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : of, relating to, or situated near the anus the anal opening anal fissures

2a : of, relating to, or characterized by the stage of psychosexual development in psychoanalytic theory that follows the oral stage and during which a child derives libidinal gratification from the expulsion and retention of the feces and conflict arises from parental demands regarding toilet training During the anal stage, from about 18 months to 3 years, the sphincter muscles become sensitive and controllable and bowel and bladder retention and elimination become a source of gratification.— David G. Myers, Psychology, 2001

b : of, relating to, or characterized by personality traits (as orderliness, frugality, and obstinacy) considered typical of fixation at the anal stage of development : anal-retentive —often used in nontechnical contexts to describe someone as extremely or excessively neat, careful, or precise — compare genital sense 3, oral sense 3, phallic sense 2