ANAL RETENTIVE PERSONALITY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does anal retentive personality mean? 

• ANAL RETENTIVE PERSONALITY (noun)
  The noun ANAL RETENTIVE PERSONALITY has 1 sense:

1. (psychoanalysis) a personality characterized by meticulous neatness and suspicion and reserve; said to be formed in early childhood by fixation during the anal stage of development (usually as a consequence of toilet training)

  Familiarity information: ANAL RETENTIVE PERSONALITY used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ANAL RETENTIVE PERSONALITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(psychoanalysis) a personality characterized by meticulous neatness and suspicion and reserve; said to be formed in early childhood by fixation during the anal stage of development (usually as a consequence of toilet training)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

anal personality; anal retentive personality

Hypernyms ("anal retentive personality" is a kind of...):

personality (the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual)

Domain category:

analysis; depth psychology; psychoanalysis (a set of techniques for exploring underlying motives and a method of treating various mental disorders; based on the theories of Sigmund Freud)