anal retentive

A form of anal-retentive — Preoccupied with achieving perfection, order and control and with collecting, possessing, and retaining objects.

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Meanings

adjectiveanal retentive (comparative more anal retentive, superlative most anal retentive)

comparative more anal retentive · superlative most anal retentive

  1. alternativeAlternative form of anal-retentive.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivea stage in psychosexual development when the child's interest is concentrated on the anal region; fixation at this stage is said to result in orderliness, meanness, stubbornness, compulsiveness, etc.

Similar
anal
Also see
anal

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

anal retentive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anal%20retentive

MLA

“anal retentive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anal%20retentive. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anal retentive,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anal%20retentive.

Source: anal retentive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.