Nearby Words
Related Questions
m-
adjective
1.
compelling; compulsory.
2.
Psychology.
a.
pertaining to, characterized by, or involving compulsion: a compulsive desire to cry.
b.
governed by an obsessive need to conform, be scrupulous, etc., coupled with an inability to express positive emotions.
noun
3.
Psychology. a person whose behavior is governed by a compulsion.
:10
:09
:08
:07
:06
:05
:04
:03
:02
:01
Compulsive
is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
Origin:
1595–1605; obsolete compulse v. (< Latin compuls(us), past participle of compellere; see compulsion) + -ive
1595–1605; obsolete compulse v. (< Latin compuls(us), past participle of compellere; see compulsion) + -ive
Related forms
com·pul·sive·ly, adverb
non·com·pul·sive, adjective
non·com·pul·sive·ly, adverb
qua·si-com·pul·sive, adjective
EXPAND
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
|
Link To compulsive
Collins
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
compulsive
c.1600, from L. *compulsivus, from pp. stem of compellere (see compel). Psychological sense is from 1902. As a noun, attested from 1630s; psychological sense from 1957. Related: compulsively (c.1600).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
compulsive com·pul·sive (kəm-pŭl'sĭv)
adj.
Caused or conditioned by compulsion or obsession. n.
A person with behavior patterns governed by a compulsion.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Word Dynamo By Dictionary.com
Matching Quote
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.