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.

---

addiction British  

/ əˈdɪkʃən /

noun

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

---

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.

---

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

"I think we conflate the way we colloquially use the word 'addicted' – like, 'I'm addicted to this show, and I'm binge-watching it' – and clinical addiction," he told a press briefing in Sydney.

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

The researchers describe this unusual dependence as an "energy addiction."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

"Truly, this is a corporate accountability case," he told AFP, citing the recent example of Meta, which reached a major settlement over teen social media addiction.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Removing encampments criminalizes people who already are marginalized by society, when the focus should be on addressing addiction and mental health issues, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

That word choice is crucial because, while there is interesting emerging science around Internet addiction, there is a predicate question being asked by many scientists: Can behaviors be addictive, or just substances?

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Ask the average person what homelessness looks like in America, and the answer invariably involves urban encampments—people with severe mental disabilities or serious addictions living in tents and squalor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 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

Early versions of aversion therapy were first trialled on animals and then on humans for conditions such as phobias, compulsions, and addictions, for example, using mild shocks to reduce nail-biting or gambling.

From BBC ● Dec. 5, 2025

We heard warnings about black clothes and white makeup, Goth music, computer addictions.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---