obsessive-compulsive
adjective
ob·ses·sive-com·pul·sive
äb-ˈse-siv-kəm-ˈpəl-siv 
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
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Obsessive-compulsive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obsessive-compulsive. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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