separation anxiety

noun

: a form of anxiety experienced by a young child and caused by separation from a significant nurturant figure and typically a parent or from familiar surroundings

Examples of separation anxiety in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Researchers recruited 12 dogs with no history of separation anxiety for the experiment. Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025 Built for the most powerful chewers, this ultra-strong Kong Store toy is perfect for stuffing with treats to relieve boredom and separation anxiety. Nora Colomer May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2025 But by the end, in its rush, the movie still hasn’t quite come up with a point of view on whether McCartney really got over his bust-up with Lennon with a little help from his Wings friends, or whether forming a band was ultimately incidental to overcoming any lingering separation anxiety. Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025 As stated, separation anxiety is not predicated on a specific campus, meaning that these struggles are likely to occur whenever student leaves home. Eric Wood, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for separation anxiety

Word History

First Known Use

1943, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of separation anxiety was in 1943

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Cite this Entry

“Separation anxiety.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/separation%20anxiety. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

Medical Definition

separation anxiety

noun
: a form of anxiety that is caused by separation from a significant nurturant figure and typically a parent or from familiar surroundings and that has an onset during childhood or sometimes adolescence

More from Merriam-Webster on separation anxiety

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