anal

\ 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 preciseI 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

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Examples of anal in a Sentence

Adjective He can be pretty anal about keeping his office neat.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The bill, which failed, would have created a standardized consent form for guardians, outlining basics such as the use of gloves, before a minor could undergo any treatment involving vaginal or anal penetration. — NBC News, "Some lawmakers want pelvic exam consent forms to protect against sex abuse," 23 Aug. 2019 Friedman said many wild animals spend their lives confined to small cages and are killed in disturbing ways that preserve their fur, including anal electrocution. — Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times, "California could soon ban sale of new fur products under bill sent to governor," 11 Sep. 2019 The warrants and other charging documents against Averett have not been uploaded to the online court system but authorities tell AL.com the boy suffered severe head trauma, as well as genital and anal tearing. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Man denies sexually torturing horrifically injured toddler," 25 July 2019 Mostly, the story is just scant scaffolding on which to hang cheerfully crass jokes about Stranger Things, anal beads, and cocaine. — Joey Nolfi, EW.com, "From Midsommar's director's cut to Don't Let Go, 13 movies to see this Labor Day weekend," 30 Aug. 2019 The warrants and other charging documents against Averett have not been uploaded to the online court system but authorities tell AL.com the boy suffered severe head trauma, as well as genital and anal tearing. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Man denies sexually torturing horrifically injured toddler," 25 July 2019 The warrants and other charging documents against Averett have not been uploaded to the online court system but authorities tell AL.com the boy suffered severe head trauma, as well as genital and anal tearing. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Man denies sexually torturing horrifically injured toddler," 25 July 2019 The warrants and other charging documents against Averett have not been uploaded to the online court system but authorities tell AL.com the boy suffered severe head trauma, as well as genital and anal tearing. — Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, "Man denies sexually torturing horrifically injured toddler," 25 July 2019 In the United States, two out every 100,000 people are diagnosed with anal cancer each year. — Ritoban Mukherjee, Quartz, "American doctors don’t know how to treat LGBTQ+ cancer patients," 25 July 2019

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.

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Dictionary Entries near anal

a nail in the/someone's coffin

Statistics for anal

Last Updated

14 Oct 2019

Time Traveler for anal

The first known use of anal was in 1769

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More Definitions for anal

anal

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of anal

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

informal : 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

anal

abbreviation

Medical Definition of anal (Entry 2 of 2)

1 analysis

2 analytic

3 analyze

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