See Also: obsessive(dictionary)
obsessive behaviour(medicine)
obsessive 2, noun(dictionary)
obsessive 1, adjective(dictionary)
Obsessive-compulsive(health)
obsessive-compulsive(dictionary)
obsessive-compulsive(medicine)
obsessive personality(medicine)
obsessive-compulsive personality(medicine)
obsessive-compulsive neurosis(medicine)

obsessive (iou)



obsessive adjective & noun. E20.
[from OBSESS + -IVE.]
A. adjective. (Of an idea or image) affecting the mind as an obsession; characteristic of or characterized by (an) obsession. E20.
Independent He was meticulous about his appearance and obsessive about cleanliness. Times Educational Supplement He developed obsessive behaviours. B. Bettelheim An anxiously obsessive desire to maintain sameness.
b. noun. A person characterized by obsessive behaviour. M20.
Comb.: obsessive-compulsive adjective & noun (Psychology) (a) adjective designating or pertaining to a disorder in which a person has an obsessive compulsion to perform meaningless acts repeatedly; (b) noun a person whose compulsive behaviour is due to obsessive thoughts.
obsessively adverb in an obsessive manner; insistently, beyond reason: M20.
obsessiveness noun M20.