obsessive-compulsive

adjective

ob·​ses·​sive-com·​pul·​sive äb-ˈse-siv-kəm-ˈpəl-siv How to pronounce obsessive-compulsive (audio)
əb-
: relating to or characterized by recurring obsessions and compulsions especially as symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder
an obsessive-compulsive personality
obsessive-compulsive behavior
obsessive-compulsive noun

Examples of obsessive-compulsive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Millions more take them for other mental health issues including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, some eating disorders, substance use disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025 Gabriel Palacios, 13, had long faced bullying because of his disabilities, including ADHD, Tourette’s syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder — bullying that had gone unaddressed for so long that his family was pursuing transferring him to a private school, his family says. Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Oct. 2025 In fact, it could be considered obsessive-compulsive. Jeanne Phillips, Mercury News, 22 Sep. 2025 Jacintha, a horseback rider, was familiar with ketamine as a horse tranquilizer but had never heard of it as a last-stop mental health treatment for treatment-resistant patients like Lucy, who was diagnosed with depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Rachel Hale, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for obsessive-compulsive

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of obsessive-compulsive was in 1927

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Cite this Entry

“Obsessive-compulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obsessive-compulsive. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

Medical Definition

obsessive-compulsive

1 of 2 adjective
: relating to or characterized by recurring obsessions and compulsions especially as symptoms of an obsessive-compulsive disorder

obsessive-compulsive

2 of 2 noun
: an individual affected with an obsessive-compulsive disorder

More from Merriam-Webster on obsessive-compulsive

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