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Synonyms

anal

1 American  
[eyn-l] / ˈeɪn l /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, involving, or near the anus.

    anal cancer.

  2. Psychoanalysis.

    1. of or relating to the second stage of psychosexual development, during which gratification is derived from the retention or expulsion of feces.

    2. of or relating to an anal character.

    3. of or relating to gratification derived from stimulation of the anus.

      the pleasurable sensations of anal eroticism.
anal. 2 American  

abbreviation

  1. analogous.

  2. analogy.

  3. analysis.

  4. analytic.

anal British  
/ ˈeɪnəl /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or near the anus

  2. psychoanal

    1. relating to a stage of psychosexual development during which the child's interest is concentrated on the anal region and excremental functions

    2. designating personality traits in the adult, such as orderliness, meanness, stubbornness, etc, due to fixation at the anal stage of development Compare genital oral phallic

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • anally adverb
  • postanal adjective
  • preanal adjective
  • subanal adjective

Etymology

Origin of anal

First recorded in 1760–70; an(us) + -al 1

Explanation

Technically, anything anal has to do with your anus, although you'll probably hear it more often to describe someone with a really meticulous, type-A personality. If you've ever heard someone described as anal retentive, you may already know that term means someone is fussy, orderly, and compulsive. Anal things have to do with the anus. The anal stage of childhood occurs when kids are extremely fascinated with their anus. To take the temperature of an infant, a doctor might need to use an anal thermometer.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This weekend, for the first time in Northern Ireland, patients, clinicians, and charities are hosting an event dedicated entirely to anal cancer awareness.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Pelvic radiotherapy for anal cancer can cause significant, long-term vaginal damage due to the proximity of the vaginal tissues to the treatment area.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

I’m kind of anal about how I choose the colors and how I highlight everything.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

If you’ve been vaccinated against HPV, you almost certainly aren’t going to die of cervical or anal or throat cancer.

From Slate • Nov. 21, 2024

I drew a dorsal fin on top and an anal fin on the bottom, to prevent the shark from rolling side to side when it was moving forward.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.