Anal Retentive (Adjective)
Meaning
A 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..
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- His anal-retentive tendencies made him extremely particular about the organization of his workspace and the timeliness of his deadlines.
- The main character's obsessive need to alphabetize her bookshelf was just one example of her anal-retentive personality trait.
- Some people viewed his rigorous adherence to schedules and rules as anal-retentive, but he just called it being responsible.
- Her coworker's anal-retentive behavior made it difficult for her to relax around him, as he would constantly correct her minor mistakes.
- The artist's anal-retentive attention to detail was both a blessing and a curse, as it made her work impeccable but also incredibly time-consuming.