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

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Etymology

Origin of addiction

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

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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

He had other help, including a steadfast, church-going wife, and golf, “an addiction that wasn’t going to kill me.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026

The American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as a chronic brain disorder.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

Usually when I have days off like this, I have a shopping addiction, so there’s a few stores that I’ll probably wind up hitting.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

An expert said she had seen an increase in search traffic for fitness addiction in recent months as society talks more honestly about these behaviours.

From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026

It was easier to say in the darkness, knowing as I spoke how my voice would betray me, my hopeless addiction to him.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

Your letter references how financial pressures, emotional turmoil, challenging workplace situations, addictions and mental-health challenges all play a role in how people deal with stressful situations.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026

Compared with chemical dependencies, which have been well understood since before the first DSM was compiled in 1952, the framework for describing so-called behavioral addictions is extremely new, he and others said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 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

They would file around the table, presenting their deficiencies, telling of their addictions, their cheating hearts.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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