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

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026

"We work with families to help them out of poverty in addressing issues around housing or employability or, in some cases, addiction issues or childcare issues," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

Seasoned anglers tend to be FFS’s biggest detractors, arguing that the hyper-accurate technology replaces the sport’s mystery and romance in favor of another screen addiction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

They activate what Mr. Lieberman refers to as “primeval cravings,” stimulating the brain’s reward centers and contributing to addiction and overconsumption.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

I was struck over and over by similarities between their times and ours, including: countrywide divisions, political name-calling, competing media outlets, new technologies, conspiracy theories, an addiction crisis, a pandemic, and the emphasis on fame.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

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

There will also be educational, wellness and healthy living classes and other group events, in part meant to combat an overall rise in loneliness that has been blamed for worsening people’s mental health and addictions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

Former shoplifter Keeley believes sending shoplifters with addictions to jail is a "waste of resources" as it does not treat the root cause of the offending.

From BBC ● Dec. 11, 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