obsessive-compulsive disorder

noun

: 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 is a chronic illness characterized by recurrent intrusive and disabling thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive stereotypical behavior (compulsions) that a person feels driven to perform.—Robert Michels and Peter M. Marzuk

called also OCD

Examples of obsessive-compulsive disorder in a Sentence

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Use for depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder is on the table, according to a small 2020 study by Lipsman and a team of researchers. — Kristen Rogers, CNN, 15 Jan. 2023 Tony Shalhoub will once again star as Adrian Monk, the consulting detective who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder and a wide range of phobias. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 15 Mar. 2023 Tony Shalhoub — who won three Emmys for the role — will once again play Adrian Monk, a brilliant detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder. — Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2023 This is a proxy indicator of mental health conditions including anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. — Lucy Tu, Discover Magazine, 23 Nov. 2022 Recurrent intrusive memories lie at the heart of certain mental illnesses, including post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. — Ingrid Wickelgren, Scientific American, 9 Dec. 2022 New research is exploring whether psychedelic drugs, taken under strict medical supervision, might help in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. — The Conversation, Fortune, 10 Feb. 2023 Sometimes teammates openly share their experiences living with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), dyslexia, or anxiety. — Bryan Stallings, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of obsessive-compulsive disorder was in 1950

Rhymes for obsessive-compulsive disorder

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Cite this Entry

“Obsessive-compulsive disorder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obsessive-compulsive%20disorder. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

obsessive-compulsive disorder

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

Note: An individual with obsessive-compulsive disorder attempts to ignore or suppress persistent unwanted and intrusive thoughts, urges, or impulses or tries to minimize them or the distress they cause by performing a repetitive behavior (such as handwashing) or mental act (such as counting or silently repeating words).

called also OCD

More from Merriam-Webster on obsessive-compulsive disorder

Nglish: Translation of obsessive-compulsive disorder for Spanish Speakers

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