addiction

American  

[uh-dik-shuhn] / əˈdɪk ʃən /

noun

• addictions
  plural

1. the state of being compulsively committed to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma.

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addiction British  

/ əˈdɪkʃən /

noun

1. the condition of being abnormally dependent on some habit, esp compulsive dependency on narcotic drugs

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addiction Scientific  

/ ə-dĭk′shən /

1. A physical or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, such as a drug or alcohol. In physical addiction, the body adapts to the substance being used and gradually requires increased amounts to reproduce the effects originally produced by smaller doses.

2. See more at withdrawal

3. A habitual or compulsive involvement in an activity, such as gambling.

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Sensitive Note

See addict.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overaddiction
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• addictions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of addiction

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin addictiōn- (stem of addictiō ) “a giving over, surrender”; see addict, -ion

Explanation

An addiction is an abnormally strong craving for something, which can sometimes grow so strong you have trouble living without it. People will sometimes use the word addiction casually, like, "I have a major addiction to chocolate! Yummy!" But the word's true meaning is more serious, and refers to something that isn't so yummy, like an alcohol or drug addiction. When someone has an addiction to smoking, for example, they might not be able to stop smoking even if it causes them to get sick.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

addiction addictions

And different forms of addiction are very interesting to me as well.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

And if you’re a commuter, good luck telling someone their TikTok addiction is “breaching official MTA policy.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Earlier this year, Meta and YouTube also lost a social media addiction lawsuit in Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

In a landmark trial in Los Angeles this year, tech giants were accused of creating "addiction machines".

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

He was certain that she went to her grave worried about his addiction to compilation meat dishes.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan

"This creates addictions and dependencies. It also leads to attention disorders," Macron told the pupils.

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Mr. Pratt has recorded cute social-media videos with dogs, promising to overhaul the city’s dysfunctional shelter system and to require vagrants to get treatment for mental health illnesses and addictions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 24, 2026

Newer ones such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, broadly known as GLP-1s, have exploded in popularity for weight loss and have shown promise for treating other conditions, such as addictions and neurodegenerative and liver diseases.

From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2026

At University College London, neuroscientist Dr Ravi Das has been trying to understand why some habits harden into addictions while others fade away.

From BBC ● Jan. 1, 2026

To have positive liberty, he explained, is to take control of one’s own mind; to be liberated from irrational fears and beliefs, from addictions, superstitions and all other forms of self-coercion.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover