fixation

American  

[fik-sey-shuhn] / fɪkˈseɪ ʃən /

noun

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

• nonfixation noun

Etymology

Origin of fixation

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

Example Sentences

Call it a case of scenario fixation syndrome.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

So, the mirrors were frosted, triggering a debate – not just about space, but also Singapore's fixation with orderliness, the low bar for people to complain, and its many, many rules.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

He has performed this exact procedure on dozens of patients, notably those whose symmetry goals have become an obvious fixation.

From Slate • Feb. 22, 2026

“Heated Rivalry” — which began as a romance book by the straight novelist Rachel Reid before being adapted for the screen by gay showrunner Jacob Tierney— is my latest fixation.

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

Gey was annoyed by the widespread fixation on HeLa.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

Related Words

• fascination
• infatuation
• preoccupation