# addiction

Pronunciation: US say "uh-DIK-shuhn" /əˈdɪk.ʃən/; UK

## Noun

1. A condition marked by compulsive drug use or repeated engagement in a rewarding behavior despite harmful consequences.
   - Simple: A strong need to keep using a drug or doing something, even when it causes harm.
   - _Years of gambling led to an addiction that he could no longer control._
   - _Clinicians treat addiction as a chronic, relapsing condition rather than a moral failing._
2. A habit or practice that harms, endangers, or shortens one's life, yet causes distress when one tries to stop.
   - Simple: A habit that harms your life but is very hard to stop without pain.
   - _Doctors warned that his addiction would shorten his life unless he found a way to quit._
   - _Giving up the addiction left her shaking and anxious for weeks._
3. The state of being devoted to something or strongly inclined toward it.
   - Simple: A strong love for something that you feel drawn to.
   - _The scholar's addiction to ancient languages shaped his entire career._
   - _He confessed a lifelong addiction to chess that no other hobby could replace._
4. An unhealthy relationship with a mood-altering experience that brings damaging consequences to one's life.
   - Simple: An unhealthy bond with something that changes your mood and harms your life.
   - _Therapists described his addiction as a destructive bond with anything that altered his mood._
   - _Recovery began once she recognized the addiction reshaping every part of her life._

## Origin

Formed from addict plus the suffix -ion; compare Latin addictio ("an adjudging, an award").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/addiction (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).