separation anxiety

noun

Definition of separation anxiety

: 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

Meanwhile, veterinary providers and pet owners are paying increased attention to such problems as separation anxiety, compulsive behaviors, phobias and aggression in pets. — Nathaniel Morris, chicagotribune.com, "Does your pooch really need Prozac?," 1 May 2018 Meanwhile, veterinary providers and pet owners are paying increased attention to such problems as separation anxiety, compulsive behaviors, phobias and aggression in pets. — Nathaniel Morris, chicagotribune.com, "Does your pooch really need Prozac?," 1 May 2018 Meanwhile, veterinary providers and pet owners are paying increased attention to such problems as separation anxiety, compulsive behaviors, phobias and aggression in pets. — Nathaniel Morris, chicagotribune.com, "Does your pooch really need Prozac?," 1 May 2018 To help with separation anxiety and develop trust, teachers visit houses during the two weeks before school begins to meet children in their environment and establish a home-school connection. — Nadine Jolie Courtney, Town & Country, "These Preschools Are the Ivy League of Early Education," 11 Oct. 2016 Many suffer from separation anxiety, cry uncontrollably and have trouble sleeping because of recurring nightmares. — James Hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Trump lost a battle on family separations, but his immigration war continues," 21 June 2018 Dog sharing or going to a dog day care is ideal for canines that have separation anxiety, Sackman said. — Rene Wisely, Detroit Free Press, "Is dog sharing the new way to keep dogs, owners together?," 8 June 2018 Meanwhile, veterinary providers and pet owners are paying increased attention to such problems as separation anxiety, compulsive behaviors, phobias and aggression in pets. — Nathaniel Morris, chicagotribune.com, "Does your pooch really need Prozac?," 1 May 2018 Sophia suffered the worst crate and separation anxiety her rescuer had seen. — Amy Mcrary, USA TODAY, "Puppy with anxiety gets special flight for canine therapy," 7 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'separation anxiety.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

17 Oct 2018

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The first known use of separation anxiety was in 1943

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More Definitions for separation anxiety

separation anxiety

noun

English Language Learners Definition of separation anxiety

: a feeling of strong fear and anxiety that is experienced by a young child when the child is separated from a parent

See the full definition for separation anxiety in the English Language Learners Dictionary

separation anxiety

noun

Medical Definition of separation anxiety

: 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