anal

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈeɪnəl/ UK /ˈeɪnəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #11404

Meanings

1

adj
of, near, intended for, or involving the anus

The biologist compared the shape of the fish's anal fin.
2

adj
in psychoanalytic theory, relating to a stage of early childhood centered on bowel control

Freud described toilet training as central to the anal stage.
3

adj
informal: excessively fussy, orderly, or concerned with small details

He is very anal about the alignment of every label.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · of, near, intended for, or... rectal

2 adj · in psychoanalytic theory,... anal-stageanal-retentive

3 adj · informal: excessively... fussy meticulous obsessivepernickety

Opposites

relaxed easygoing careless

Word family

Derived forms anal-retentiveanalityanallyperianalpreanalpostanalanilingus

Related forms anusrectum oral psychoanalysis

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

anal sex
sexual activity involving penetration of the anus

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ānālis ("relating to the anus"), from ānus + -ālis, the source of English -al. The psychoanalytic sense arose in the phrase anal stage; the informal sense "excessively fussy or orderly" is shortened from anal-retentive.

Topics

Describing Qualities Register & Style

External links

# anal

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈeɪnəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈeɪnəl/
**Frequency rank:** 11404

## Meanings
1. of, near, intended for, or involving the anus
2. in psychoanalytic theory, relating to a stage of early childhood centered on bowel control
3. informal: excessively fussy, orderly, or concerned with small details

## Examples
- The biologist compared the shape of the fish's anal fin.
- Freud described toilet training as central to the anal stage.
- He is very anal about the alignment of every label.

## Synonyms
- rectal
- fussy
- meticulous
- obsessive
- pernickety
- anal-retentive

## Antonyms
- relaxed
- easygoing
- careless

## Derived Forms
- anal-retentive
- anality
- anally
- perianal
- preanal
- postanal
- anilingus

## Related Forms
- anus
- rectum
- oral
- psychoanalysis

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin ānālis ("relating to the anus"), from ānus + -ālis, the source of English -al. The psychoanalytic sense arose in the phrase anal stage; the informal sense "excessively fussy or orderly" is shortened from anal-retentive.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Register & Style

markdown