addiction

American  

[uh-dik-shuhn] / əˈdɪk ʃən /

noun

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

• overaddiction noun

Etymology

Origin of addiction

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

These medications have reshaped how obesity and the overweight are treated and opened the door to a new scientific field that’s assessing GLP-1s for everything from osteoarthritis to alcohol addiction.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

But there’s a lot more to Meta than that product, including aggressive capital spending to keep up in the AI race and the loss of two landmark social-media addiction trials last month.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

And last week, Meta and Alphabet lost a landmark social-media addiction trial that could foreshadow more lawsuits.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

A new preclinical study has identified a gene therapy that directly targets pain-processing areas in the brain while avoiding the addiction risks linked to narcotic drugs.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 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