| 1. | having an anal character. |
| 2. | a person who is anal retentive. |
| a·nal-re·ten·tive (ā'nəl-rĭ-těn'tĭv) adj. Psychology Indicating personality traits, such as meticulousness, avarice, and obstinacy, originating in habits, attitudes, or values associated with infantile pleasure in retention of feces. |
| Main Entry: | anal-retentive |
| Part of Speech: | adj |
| Definition: | exhibiting a tendency toward excessive neatness and obstinacy in how things are done, thought to be tied to the anal stage of development in Freudian psychology |
| Etymology: | 1958-62 |
| Usage: | anal retentive, n; anal retention, n; anal-retentiveness, n |
anal-retentive adj.
Indicating personality traits, such as meticulousness, avarice, and obstinacy, originating in habits, attitudes, or values associated with infantile pleasure in retention of feces.