anal

play

adjective \ ˈā-nᵊl \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of anal

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 ¹oral 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

—

anally

play \-nᵊl-ē\ adverb

See anal defined for English-language learners

See anal defined for kids

Examples of anal in a Sentence

He can be pretty anal about keeping his office neat.

Recent Examples of anal from the Web

An autopsy found that Brandow suffered a broken jaw, broken ribs and vaginal and anal injuries.

— cynthia hubert, sacbee, "Homeless woman experienced kindness, then a violent death, under a Sacramento freeway," 26 July 2017
Hicks claimed her breasts were exposed and Pontoon said the police searched his anal cavity.

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "South Carolina Couple Granted $150K Settlement From Illegal Cavity Search Case," 25 July 2017
Pontoon said police searched his anal cavity, and officers found no drugs in their car.

— meg kinnard, The Seattle Times, "SC couple settles roadside cavity search case," 24 July 2017
Anal pain could also potentially point toward endometriosis, says ob/gyn Aimee D. Eyvazzadeh, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist and fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

— suzannah weiss, SELF, "Why Your Butt Sometimes Hurts During Your Period," 19 July 2017
Jeffrey Lord is the devil’s anal wart come to life to suck the excess dingleberries that sometimes form around Trump’s hairy anus.

— michael harriot, The Root, "The 2017 World Wypipo Tournament: Who Is the Worst?," 17 July 2017
Nick Saban can be anal-retentive to the point of obnoxiousness.

— joseph goodman, AL.com, "Saban was smart to ignore Auburn, the best team in the SEC," 13 July 2017
The word hemorrhoid actually refers to cushions of tissue that line the anal canal.

— sandee lamotte, CNN, "Hemorrhoids: Dangers, treatments and prevention," 4 July 2017
Anal sex does not always qualify as sex between two penis owners.

— gigi engle, Teen Vogue, "6 Things You Shouldn't Assume About Queer Sex," 28 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of anal

see anus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1769

See Words from the same year

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

anal

abbreviation

Definition of anal

1 analogy

2 analysis; analytic

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

ANAL Defined for English Language Learners

anal

play

adjective

Definition of anal for English Language Learners

biology : of, relating to, or located near the anus
: extremely or overly neat, careful, or precise

ANAL Defined for Kids

anal

adjective \ ˈā-nᵊl \

Definition of anal for Students

:relating to the anus

Medical Dictionary

anal

play

adjective \ ˈān-ᵊl \

medical Definition of anal

1 :of, relating to, or situated near the anus

the anal opening

anal fissures

2 a :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 3, oral 3, phallic 2

—

anally

play \-ᵊl-ē\ adverb

anal

abbreviation

medical Definition of anal

1 analysis

2 analytic

3 analyze

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Origin and Etymology of anal

Other Anatomy Terms

anal

Definition of anal

Other Biology Terms

ANAL Defined for English Language Learners

anal

Definition of anal for English Language Learners

ANAL Defined for Kids

anal

Definition of anal for Students

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anal

medical Definition of anal

anally

anal

medical Definition of anal

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