hoarding disorder
noun
: a psychological disorder characterized by the persistent accumulation of a variety of items that are often considered useless or worthless by others and by the inability to discard such items without great distress
Note: The accumulation and clutter of items that occur in hoarding disorder lead to significant obstruction and congestion of living areas.
Many people with hoarding disorder benefit significantly from cognitive behavioral therapy, in which a therapist helps reduce clutter and prevent future hoarding.—
Robert Ashley
Robert AshleyThe problem with detecting hoarding disorder is the extremely long time-frame in which it manifests. A person may have traits of the disorder early in life, but functional impairment may take a long time to show up.—Anne Halliwell
Anne HalliwellBesides dementia, hoarding disorder is the only mental health disorder that increases in severity and prevalence with age …—Emily Gurnon
Emily GurnonExamples of hoarding disorder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Once a home is cleaned out, the person with hoarding disorder should have regular check-ins with friends, family or case workers to keep the clutter from re-accumulating.
—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
A lot of times, individuals with hoarding disorder will have some type of trauma in their past.
—
Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield,
CBS News,
10 Dec. 2025
Around 14 million Americans are affected by hoarding disorder, with similar rates across other Western countries.
—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
9 Aug. 2025
Compared with the general population, participants with hoarding disorder scored almost universally high on altruism.
—
Mary E. Dozier,
CNN,
16 Mar. 2025
Also, Spinelli thinks Medicaid and Medicare should fund more peer-support specialists for hoarding disorder.
—
Sarah Boden,
NPR,
30 Dec. 2024
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Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
A lot of times, individuals with hoarding disorder will have some type of trauma in their past.
—
Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield,
CBS News,
10 Dec. 2025
Around 14 million Americans are affected by hoarding disorder, with similar rates across other Western countries.
—
Lianne Kolirin,
CNN Money,
9 Aug. 2025
Compared with the general population, participants with hoarding disorder scored almost universally high on altruism.
—
Mary E. Dozier,
CNN,
16 Mar. 2025
Also, Spinelli thinks Medicaid and Medicare should fund more peer-support specialists for hoarding disorder.
—
Sarah Boden,
NPR,
30 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Hoarding disorder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoarding%20disorder. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
hoarding disorder
noun
: a psychological disorder characterized by the persistent accumulation of a variety of items that are often considered useless or worthless by others and by the inability to discard such items without great distress regardless of their value
Note: The accumulation and clutter of items that occur in hoarding disorder lead to significant obstruction and congestion of living areas.
The problem with detecting hoarding disorder is the extremely long time-frame in which it manifests. A person may have traits of the disorder early in life, but functional impairment may take a long time to show up.—Anne Halliwel
Anne HalliwelMany people with hoarding disorder benefit significantly from cognitive behavioral therapy, in which a therapist helps reduce clutter and prevent future hoarding.—Robert Ashley
Robert AshleyBesides dementia, hoarding disorder is the only mental health disorder that increases in severity and prevalence with age …—Emily Gurnon
Emily GurnonLove words? Need even more definitions?
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