obsessive-compulsive disorder

British  

noun

1.  OCD.  psychiatry an anxiety disorder in which patients are driven to repeat the same act, such as washing their hands, over and over again, usually for many hours

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obsessive-compulsive disorder Scientific  

/ əb-sĕs′ĭv-kəm-pŭl′sĭv /

1. A psychiatric disorder characterized by the persistent intrusion of repetitive, unwanted thoughts which may be accompanied by compulsive actions, such as handwashing. The individual cannot voluntarily prevent these thoughts or actions, which interfere with normal functioning.

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Example Sentences

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obsessive-compulsive disorder

Her first major contribution to the field of anxiety and fear-based disorders was in the 1970s and ’80s, with a therapy called exposure and response prevention that she used to treat patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

Many neurological and psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and some forms of brain injury, can make it difficult for people to apply existing skills in new situations.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 28, 2025

She weaned him off clozapine entirely in 2018 and Cauchi also stopped taking medication to treat his obsessive-compulsive disorder the year after, she said.

From BBC ● May 30, 2025

Clinicians continue to debate how best to define it, as orthorexia can share features of anorexia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

From Slate ● May 25, 2025

Dexter also had obsessive-compulsive disorder, which Andrea explained often accompanied Tourette’s.

From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling