fixation

American  

[fik-sey-shuhn] / fɪkˈseɪ ʃən /

noun

fixations plural

1. the act of fixing or the state of being fixed.

2. Chemistry.

   1. reduction from a volatile or fluid to a stable or solid form.

   2. the process of converting atmospheric nitrogen into a useful compound, as a nitrate fertilizer.

3. Photography. the process of rendering an image permanent by removal of light-sensitive silver halides.

4. Psychoanalysis. a partial arrest of emotional and instinctual development at an early point in life, due to a severe traumatic experience or an overwhelming gratification.

5. a preoccupation with one subject, issue, etc.; obsession.

   All her life she had a fixation on stories of violent death.

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fixation British  

/ fɪkˈseɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of fixing or the state of being fixed

2. a preoccupation or obsession

3. psychol

   1. the act of fixating

   2. (in psychoanalytical schools) a strong attachment of a person to another person or an object in early life

4. chem

   1. the conversion of nitrogen in the air into a compound, esp a fertilizer

   2. the conversion of a free element into one of its compounds

5. the reduction of a substance from a volatile or fluid form to a nonvolatile or solid form

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonfixation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fixations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fixation

1350–1400; Middle English fixacion < Medieval Latin fixātiōn- (stem of fixātiō ) a reduction to a fixed state. See fix, -ation

Explanation

Fixation is when something is stuck firmly to another surface — or when you mind is stuck obsessively on one person, thing, or idea. Your parents' fixation on healthy foods means fruit for dessert every single night. The Latin root of fixation means "to fasten or fix," and fixation is used in this literal way in technical contexts. A science experiment might involve the fixation of one chemical to another, for example. Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud is responsible for the "obsessive interest" meaning, emphasizing childhood fixations that carry into adulthood. You might see your attachment to your mobile phone as perfectly normal, while your parents consider it an unhealthy fixation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fixation fixations

The German's apparent fixation with a strategy of picking versatile defenders who can play on both flanks, along with central defenders who can fill in at full-back, has placed England in a tricky situation.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

Nature, and trees in particular, became his fixation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

They’re interested in the wave of new stock market listings, many tied in some way to Wall Street’s fixation with all things AI, and the back-and-forth between Washington and Tehran about the war.

From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026

Others spread until every member of a population carries them, a process known as fixation.

From Science Daily ● May 29, 2026

Which probably explains his fixation on the Trials.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Donabedian says he’s always watching for Wall Street fixations that move to the back-burner.

From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026

The author’s financial fixations permeate every page of the book.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026

He was able to usher several of his long-standing fixations across the finish line with acceptable consensus.

From Slate ● Oct. 10, 2025

She also, just to show the bizarre depths of her fixations, endorses a horrifically anti-semitic conspiracy theory, as Merlan writes:

From Salon ● Mar. 10, 2025

Seventy-six percent of all fixations were on the letters.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• fascination
• infatuation
• preoccupation