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.

---

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

• overaddiction
  noun

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

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, extended by the Affordable Care Act in 2010, required health plans to cover mental-health services at parity with medical and surgical care.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

“This is really bringing to light something that’s going on in homes across the country,” said Emily Feinstein, executive vice president of the nonprofit Partnership to End Addiction.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025

The idea for the study initially bubbled up during a Fralin Biomedical Research Institute faculty retreat and was led by Warren Bickel, professor and director of the Addiction Recovery Research Center, who died in 2024.

From Science Daily • Oct. 18, 2025

Ms McKenney, who authors the website Sally's Baking Addiction, accused Ms Bellamy of copying her vanilla cake recipe, which is included in Ms Bellamy's cookbook and YouTube channel.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2025

He’s the director of the Center for Internet and Technology Addiction, one of the first places in the world to treat technology addiction as a medical disorder.

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