Addiction Definition, Examples, and Usage

Meaning 1：compulsive need for a substance or activity (addiction)

addiction 🔊

/əˈdɪkʃən/

When someone feels they need to do something or use something all the time, and can't stop easily, even if it causes harm.

Addiction illustration showing compulsive phone use

compulsive need for a substance or activity 🔊

➕

/kəmˈpʌlsɪv niːd fɔːr ə ˈsʌbstəns ɔːr ækˈtɪvɪti/

A powerful and persistent urge to engage in a behavior or consume a substance, often despite harmful consequences. It involves loss of control and continued use or engagement despite negative effects.

📁 Category：Physical & Mental Health 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Latin 'addictus' (assigned) from 'ad-' (to) + 'dicere' (say). Originally meant 'assigned as a slave to a creditor'.

💡 Mnemonic

ADD + DICTION: You keep ADDing a habit, and it becomes your personal DICTIONary – always in your mind.

📖 Example

He realized his addiction to social media when he couldn't focus on his homework for five minutes without checking his phone. 🔊 He discovered his compulsive need for social media when he couldn't concentrate on his homework for five minutes without looking at his phone.

🔗 Collocations

gambling addiction – A compulsive need to gamble

drug addiction – A compulsive need for drugs

social media addiction – A compulsive need to use social media platforms

🔄 Synonyms

dependence (n.) – A state of relying on something, often physically or psychologically, with difficulty stopping.

obsession (n.) – An idea or feeling that completely occupies the mind, often leading to compulsive behaviors.

habit (n.) – A settled or regular tendency that is hard to give up, but not necessarily harmful (addiction implies harm).

🚫 Antonyms

moderation (n.) – The avoidance of excess; balanced and controlled use.

abstinence (n.) – The practice of refraining from a behavior or substance entirely.

self-control (n.) – The ability to regulate one's impulses and resist temptations.

🌱 Derivatives

addict (n.) – A person who is addicted to a substance or activity

addicted (adj.) – Physically or mentally dependent on something

addictive (adj.) – Causing addiction or having the potential to cause addiction

📖 Cultural Story

In ancient Rome, 'addictus' referred to a debtor legally assigned to a creditor as a slave. Over centuries, the meaning shifted to a compulsive attachment to a substance or activity, now central to psychology and public health.