Definition of compulsive
1 : having power to compel forced to resort to compulsive measures
2 : of, relating to, caused by, or suggestive of psychological compulsion or obsession compulsive actions a compulsive gambler compulsive eating
compulsively
adverbcompulsiveness
nounFrom the M-W Editors
Examples of compulsive in a Sentence
his compulsive clowning around can sometimes be annoying
Recent Examples of compulsive from the Web
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Pulses of electricity delivered to the brain can help patients with Parkinson’s disease, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and possibly other conditions.
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Yee said new technologies are often blamed for compulsive behavior when depression and social anxiety are the true culprits.
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Few experiences could rival the educations offered by working with Jarmusch or Scorsese, both ardent aficionados of cinema with wide, compulsive interests.
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Carriers of the parasite seem to suffer at higher rates from Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, migraines, bipolar disorder, suicidal tendencies, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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Yet compulsive overachievers are often lousy presidents.
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One young man described dropping out of college to seek treatment for the crippling problem that brought them all here: compulsive Internet use.
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Gimelstob said, referring to obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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Tevye is famous—in the stories as well—for his compulsive need to quote the holy texts.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'compulsive'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of compulsive
see compulsion
First Known Use: 1588
Other Psychology Terms
COMPULSIVE Defined for English Language Learners
compulsive
playDefinition of compulsive for English Language Learners
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: caused by a desire that is too strong to resist : impossible to stop or control
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: not able to stop or control doing something
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: very interesting
Medical Dictionary
Medical Definition of compulsive
: of, relating to, caused by, or suggestive of psychological compulsion or obsession repetitive and compulsive behavior compulsive hoarding a compulsive gambler
compulsively
adverbcompulsiveness
nouncompulsivity
\kəm-ˌpəl-ˈsiv-ət-ē, ˌkäm-\play noun pluralcompulsivities
Prozac, which increases the amount of serotonin sloshing around brain circuits, seems to reduce the compulsivity of autism.—Karen Springen, Newsweek, 13 May 1996compulsive
Medical Definition of compulsive
: one who is subject to a psychological compulsion
Learn More about compulsive
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for compulsive Spanish Central: Translation of compulsive Nglish: Translation of compulsive for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of compulsive for Arabic speakers
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