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

"I wanted the repetition to mirror those cyclical thoughts - a spiral or a fixation on one specific feeling," she says.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 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

When a promotion affords her a workspace, she cultivates a fixation with paperweights, which help keep her daydreaming grounded.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 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

With the exception of Taro’s fixation on the refrigerator, the three of us tend to migrate to our own spaces when we’re inside the house.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Related Words

• fascination
• infatuation
• preoccupation