fixation

noun

fix·​a·​tion fik-ˈsā-shən How to pronounce fixation (audio)
: the act, process, or result of fixing, fixating, or becoming fixated: such as
a
: a persistent concentration of libidinal energies upon objects characteristic of psychosexual stages of development preceding the genital stage
b
: stereotyped behavior (as in response to frustration)
c
: an obsessive or unhealthy preoccupation or attachment

Examples of fixation in a Sentence

their weight is an unfortunate fixation for many teenagers
Recent Examples on the Web Their platonic fixation with one another is challenged when a teenage Runt develops feelings for a boy at school, and Pig's increasingly volatile behavior turns dangerous. Danny Horn, EW.com, 7 Mar. 2024 But the entertainment industry’s fixation with crafting super-realistic realms can also be distracting. Manvir Singh, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2024 Fashion’s fixation with celebrity scions is not new. Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 The decision – which Education Department officials touted as their 25th executive action on student loan relief – is the most recent indication of the Biden administration’s fixation on alleviating the country’s student loan debt crisis. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2024 The international relations scholar Emma Ashford sees Trump’s moves as part of a longer shift in the orientation of the U.S. foreign policy establishment from the liberal internationalism of the 1990s to a contemporary fixation on great-power rivalry. Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Always having a sip of water by your side can be great for remembering to stay hydrated, but sometimes forming an attachment to a water bottle can lead to a fixation on hydration that could have serious health consequences if taken too far, according to medical experts. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 18 Feb. 2024 Our cultural fixation on youth—exactly like Corcoran described and recommended appealing to—is hardly innocent and has been shown to negatively impact older people politically, economically, and socially. Jane Thier, Fortune, 3 Jan. 2024 Physicist Paul Halpern has noticed the public's fixation with the multiverse—take Everything Everywhere All at Once winning seven Oscars in 2023, for instance. Amy Brady, Scientific American, 11 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fixation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fixacioun "(in alchemy) reduction of a volatile substance to a form not alterable by fire or another agent of change," borrowed from Medieval Latin fīxātiōn-, fīxātiō, from fīxāre "to so reduce a volatile substance" (verbal derivative of Latin fīxus "firmly established, unchangeable") + Latin -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns; in psychological senses after German Fixation or Fixierung — more at fix entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fixation was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near fixation

Cite this Entry

“Fixation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fixation. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fixation

noun
fix·​a·​tion fik-ˈsā-shən How to pronounce fixation (audio)
1
: the act, process, or result of fixing
2
: a state of concern or attachment especially when abnormal and lasting for a long time

Medical Definition

fixation

noun
fix·​a·​tion fik-ˈsā-shən How to pronounce fixation (audio)
1
: the act, process, or result of fixing, fixating, or becoming fixated: as
a
: the act or an instance of focusing the eyes upon an object
b
: a persistent concentration of libidinal energies upon objects characteristic of psychosexual stages of development preceding the genital stage
c
: stereotyped behavior (as in response to frustration)
d
: an obsessive or unhealthy preoccupation or attachment
2
: the immobilization of the parts of a fractured bone especially by the use of various metal attachments

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