anal
adjective
of, relating to, involving, or near the anus.
anal
1 American
[eyn-l]
/ ˈeɪn l /
adjective
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of, relating to, involving, or near the anus.
anal cancer.
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Psychoanalysis.
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of or relating to the second stage of psychosexual development, during which gratification is derived from the retention or expulsion of feces.
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of or relating to an anal character.
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of or relating to gratification derived from stimulation of the anus.
the pleasurable sensations of anal eroticism.
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anal.
2
American
abbreviation
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analogous.
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analogy.
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analysis.
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analytic.
anal
British
/ ˈeɪnəl /
adjective
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of, relating to, or near the anus
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psychoanal
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relating to a stage of psychosexual development during which the child's interest is concentrated on the anal region and excremental functions
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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
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of anal
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.
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.
Unmarried men had five times the rate of anal cancer; unmarried women experienced three times the rate of cervical cancer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026
HPV causes cells in the anal canal to grow abnormally and form tumours.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
I’m going to be like a really anal New York Times reporter.
From Slate • Feb. 4, 2026
I’m kind of anal about how I choose the colors and how I highlight everything.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025
“All right, guys, thanks for watching! Gotta double-check my afternoon and evening meds now. You know how anal I am. I hope everyone has a great week. Bye!”
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
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.
