fixation
noun
fix·a·tion
fik-ˈsā-shən 
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
Trump's fixation on the Kennedy Center has drawn plenty of ire from members of the late president's family.
—
Meredith Kile, People.com, 29 July 2025
Others raised doubts that elite universities — with their swelling administrative costs, staggering tuition rates and contentious ideological fixations — are prudent stewards of taxpayer dollars.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
Fifty years later, Nye and Keohane, longtime colleagues and friends, reunited for a final time in Foreign Affairs’ pages, to argue that President Donald Trump’s single-minded fixation on hard power risks weakening the real sources of U.S. strength.
—Foreign Affairs, 24 July 2025
Bowser, the mayor of D.C., downplayed the suggestion that Trump’s most recent fixation would ultimately derail a plan that has been bandied about for years.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fixation
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Meredith Kile, People.com, 29 July 2025
Others raised doubts that elite universities — with their swelling administrative costs, staggering tuition rates and contentious ideological fixations — are prudent stewards of taxpayer dollars.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 27 July 2025
Fifty years later, Nye and Keohane, longtime colleagues and friends, reunited for a final time in Foreign Affairs’ pages, to argue that President Donald Trump’s single-minded fixation on hard power risks weakening the real sources of U.S. strength.
—Foreign Affairs, 24 July 2025
Bowser, the mayor of D.C., downplayed the suggestion that Trump’s most recent fixation would ultimately derail a plan that has been bandied about for years.
—Brett Samuels, The Hill, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fixation
Cite this Entry
“Fixation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fixation. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fixation
noun
fix·a·tion
fik-ˈsā-shən
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
1
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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