OCD

abbreviation or noun

ˌō-ˌsē-'dē 

: a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent obsessions or compulsions or both that cause significant distress, are time-consuming, and interfere with normal daily functioning : obsessive-compulsive disorder

The subjects of the experiment were 18 people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)—unwanted and pointless but irresistible intrusive thoughts (e.g., fear of contamination by germs) and repetitive actions (e.g., handwashing or change-counting).

—The Harvard Medical School Mental Health Letter

OCD is a mental health condition that "involves both obsessions and compulsions that take up a lot of time and get in the way of important activities, such as school, family life, extracurricular activities, developing friendships, and self-care," according to the International OCD Foundation.

—Sarah D. Collins

Examples of OCD in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In some cases, constant licking that can't be interrupted may be a sign of canine OCD. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025

Erickson-Schroth says people with OCD should inform their friends and families to provide support, not validation. —Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2025

Avery is the very much OCD, straight A’s, stick to the book, rule-follower person. —Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025

Therapy also helped Pearce realize her anxiety and OCD didn’t develop in 2020. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Medical Definition

OCD

abbreviation or noun

ˌō-ˌsē-ˈdē 

: a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent obsessions or compulsions or both that cause significant distress, are time-consuming, and interfere with normal daily functioning : obsessive-compulsive disorder

Childhood and adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorders are sometimes seen in dermatology practice. When present, OCD is most frequently manifested in younger patients as trichotillomania …

—J. Y. Koo and L. L. Smith, Pediatric Dermatology

… drugs such as Prozac help relieve the symptoms of OCD, but 90 percent of medicated patients relapse when the drugs are withdrawn. More effective is behavioral therapy, which has a cure rate of up to 80 percent.

—Josie Glausiusz, Discover