anorexia nervosa

an·o·rex·i·a ner·vo·sa
/ˌæn.əˈɹɛk.si.ə nɜː(ɹ)ˌvəʊ̯.sə/

noun

An eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight.

OriginAncient Greek ᾰ̓ν- ← Latin nervōsa →
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Meanings

nounanorexia nervosa (uncountable, abbreviation AN)

abbreviation AN

  1. uncountablemedicineAn eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
sitophobia

Origin

  1. Latinnervōsa“nervous”
  2. Ancient Greekᾰ̓ν-“without”
  3. Englishanorexia nervosa

From the scientific term anorexia nervosa (1957), from the symptom anorexia (“loss of appetite”), from Ancient Greek ᾰ̓ν- (ăn-, “without”) + ὄρεξις (órexis, “appetite, desire”) + -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā, “-ia”), and Latin nervōsa (“nervous”).

More words from Ancient Greek, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque anorexia urduri
  • anorexia urdurieating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Bulgarian анорексия нервоза
  • анорексия нервоза (anoreksija nervoza)eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Catalan anorèxia nerviosa
  • anorèxia nerviosaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Chinese Mandarin 神經性厭食 /神经性厌食, 神經性食慾缺乏 /神经性食欲缺乏
  • 神經性厭食 /神经性厌食 (shénjīngxìng yànshí)eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • 神經性食慾缺乏 /神经性食欲缺乏 (shénjīngxìng shíyù quēfá)eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Czech anorexie, mentální anorexie
  • anorexieeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • mentální anorexieeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Danish anoreksi
  • anoreksieating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Dutch anorexia nervosa
  • anorexia nervosaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Esperanto anoreksio
  • anoreksioeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Estonian anoreksia
  • anoreksiaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Finnish anoreksia, laihuushäiriö
  • anoreksiaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • laihuushäiriöeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
French anorexie mentale
  • anorexie mentaleeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
German Anorexia nervosa, Anorexia mentalis
  • Anorexia nervosaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • Anorexia mentaliseating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • Magersuchteating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Greek νευρική ανορεξία
  • νευρική ανορεξία (nevrikí anorexía)eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Hebrew אנורקסיה נרבוזה
  • אנורקסיה נרבוזהeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Hindi एनोरेक्सिया नर्वोज़ा, क्षुधा अभाव
  • एनोरेक्सिया नर्वोज़ा (enoreksiyā narvozā)eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • क्षुधा अभाव (kṣudhā abhāv)eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Hungarian anorexia, anorexia nervosa
  • anorexiaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • anorexia nervosaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Icelandic lystarstol, anorexía
  • lystarstoleating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • anorexíaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Indonesian anoreksia nervosa
  • anoreksia nervosaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Irish anoireicse néarógach
  • anoireicse néarógacheating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Italian anoressia, anoressia nervosa
  • anoressiaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • anoressia nervosaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Japanese 拒食症
  • 拒食症 (kyoshokushō)eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Korean 신경성 식욕부진증
  • 신경성 식욕부진증 (sin'gyeongseong sigyokbujinjeung)eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Latvian anoreksija
  • anoreksijaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Lithuanian anoreksija, nervinė anoreksija
  • anoreksijaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • nervinė anoreksijaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Norwegian anoreksi
  • anoreksieating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Persian بیاشتهایی عصبی
  • بیاشتهایی عصبیeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Polish anoreksja, jadłowstręt psychiczny
  • anoreksjaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • jadłowstręt psychicznyeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Portuguese anorexia nervosa
  • anorexia nervosaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Romanian anorexie nervoasă, anorexie mintală
  • anorexie nervoasăeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • anorexie mintalăeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Russian аноре́ксия, нервная анорекси́я
  • аноре́ксия (anoréksija)eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • нервная анорекси́я (nervnaja anoreksíja)eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Scottish Gaelic fuath-bìdh
  • fuath-bìdheating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Slovak anorexia, mentálna anorexia
  • anorexiaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • mentálna anorexiaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Spanish anorexia, anorexia nerviosa
  • anorexiaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • anorexia nerviosaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
  • anorexia mentaleating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Swedish anorexi
  • anorexieating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Thai โรคเบื่ออาหารเหตุจิตใจ
  • โรคเบื่ออาหารเหตุจิตใจeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Turkish anoreksiya nervoza
  • anoreksiya nervozaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Ukrainian аноре́ксія
  • аноре́ксія (anoréksija)eating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Welsh anorecsia nerfosa
  • anorecsia nerfosaeating disorder characterized by self-starvation due to an irrational fear of gaining weight
Cite this entry
APA

anorexia nervosa. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anorexia%20nervosa

MLA

“anorexia nervosa.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anorexia%20nervosa. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anorexia nervosa,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anorexia%20nervosa.

Source: anorexia nervosa on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.