compulsive

adjective com·pul·sive \ kəm-ˈpəl-siv \

|Updated on: 11 Aug 2018

Examples: compulsive in a Sentence

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

adverb

—

compulsiveness

noun

—

compulsivity

play \kəm-ˌpəl-ˈsi-və-tē, ˌkäm-\ noun

See compulsive defined for English-language learners

See compulsive defined for kids

Examples of compulsive in a Sentence

his compulsive clowning around can sometimes be annoying

Recent Examples of compulsive from the Web

The new list now includes conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, obsessive compulsive disorder, and Parkinson’s, which will all go into effect immediately.

— erin corbett, Fortune, "Michigan Approves 11 New Conditions for Medical Marijuana Treatment," 11 July 2018
Cruz’s mother, who has since died of pneumonia, also told authorities the teen was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder, autism and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

— erika pesantes, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Family of Helena Ramsay asks judge for Parkland shooter's mental health records," 15 June 2018
In an attempt to reduce compulsive gambling, Australian authorities banned gambling advertisements during the broadcast of live sports between 5 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. on commercial free-to-air TV, radio and pay TV from March 30.

— dennis passa, Fox News, "Gambling expert calls for WADA-style monitoring of athletes," 23 May 2018
Those who deal with compulsive gambling are worried that a rapid expansion of sports betting in the U.S. could cause more people to develop gambling problems.

— norman chad, San Antonio Express-News, "Chad: Don’t worry about bookies as gambling proliferates," 21 May 2018
Wexler, formerly the executive director of New Jersey’s council on compulsive gambling, is not a man inclined toward understatement.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Week in quotes: Best bets in legalized sports gambling are the house and state," 19 May 2018
With the correct prescription, an addict’s compulsive behavior, loss of control, constant cravings, and other hallmarks of addiction will usually vanish.

— michelle weber, Longreads, "You’re Not Clean Until You’re 110% Clean," 9 July 2018
With the correct prescription, an addict’s compulsive behavior, loss of control, constant cravings, and other hallmarks of addiction will usually vanish.

— michelle weber, Longreads, "You’re Not Clean Until You’re 110% Clean," 9 July 2018
Another small but useful side effect of this crisis has been to expose just how deeply the psychosis of compulsive lying has spread through the administration’s ranks.

— frank rich, Daily Intelligencer, "The Shameless Fakery of Trump’s Retreat on Family Separations," 21 June 2018

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1588

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

compulsive Synonyms

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

COMPULSIVE Defined for English Language Learners

compulsive

adjective

Definition of compulsive for English Language Learners

: caused by a desire that is too strong to resist : impossible to stop or control
: not able to stop or control doing something
: very interesting

Medical Dictionary

compulsive

adjective com·pul·sive \ -ˈpəl-siv \

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

adverb

—

compulsiveness

noun

—

compulsivity

play \kəm-ˌpəl-ˈsiv-ət-ē, ˌkäm-\ noun, plural -ties

- Prozac, which increases the amount of serotonin sloshing around brain circuits, seems to reduce the compulsivity of autism.
- —Karen Springen, Newsweek, 13 May 1996