obsessive-compulsive personality
- noun
- /əbˈsɛsɪv kəmˈpʌlsɪv pɜrˈsənəlɪti/
- Specialized
:
personalidad obsesivo-compulsiva
- Her obsessive-compulsive personality made it difficult for her to relax, as she felt compelled to double-check everything.
- obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Examples
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People with an obsessive-compulsive personality typically need to follow strict routines to feel comfortable and in control.
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The two most convincing accounts of resistance were from men with obsessive-compulsive personalities.
Academic text (2004) -
Today we're going to be talking about obsessive compulsive personality disorder.
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Right, unless you have an obsessive-compulsive personality (as I do at times) and a family or other commitments.
Blog text (31) -
Future research should aim to assess this pattern more systematically, both in terms of the specific acting-out sequence and in other aspects of obsessive-compulsive personality.
Academic text (2004) -
Obsessive Compulsive Personality
Blog text (27) -
We would anticipate that most people with obsessive-compulsive personalities and a propensity for mood disorders would experience a decline in sexual arousability during negative mood states, as is the case for most people.
Academic text (2004) -
Individuals with an obsessive-compulsive personality often find themselves meticulously organizing their workspace every day.
Synonyms
35
4.5
A person who wants everything perfect and dislikes small mistakes
8
6.1
Wanting everything to be the best and getting upset by small mistakes
Antonyms
How Orderly
- Specialized
- Specialized
1
9.5
3
3.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
obsessive-compulsive + personality
The phrase is compositionally built from an adjective meaning 'characterized by obsessions and compulsions' plus 'personality' meaning a stable pattern of traits, so a learner who knows the constituent meanings can infer a personality marked by repetitive acts, orderliness, and control. Although it is a clinical label with some nuance, the overall sense is directly derivable from the parts and mirrors similar constructions in other languages.
Etymology
Obsessive-compulsive personality comes from the words obsessive, meaning repeating thoughts, and compulsive, meaning a strong urge to act, so imagine someone who checks a door many times or lines up things until they feel 'just right'. That's why the phrase describes a person who needs to 'repeat' acts and keep everything in 'order' and 'control'.