anorexia nervosa

noun

anorexia ner·​vo·​sa -(ˌ)nər-ˈvō-sə 

-zə

: a serious disorder in eating behavior that is characterized especially by a pathological fear of weight gain leading to faulty eating patterns, malnutrition, and usually excessive weight loss and that occurs most commonly in young women in their teens and early twenties

Examples of anorexia nervosa in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even if a person has an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, the companies will happily sell them a semaglutide or tirzepatide product without a prescription. —C. Michael White / The Conversation, Quartz, 21 Oct. 2024

This is common in people with anorexia nervosa who often experience weight gain resistance. —Isabel Vasquez Rd Ldn, Health, 27 Sep. 2024

The pressure to reach perfection led Stoner to eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, exercise bulimia, and binge-eating disorder. —Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2024

Eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. —Ashley Andreou, Scientific American, 15 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, nervous anorexia

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

anorexia nervosa

noun

anorexia ner·​vo·​sa -(ˌ)nər-ˈvō-sə 

-zə

: a serious eating disorder especially of young women in their teens in which an abnormal fear of weight gain leads to faulty eating habits and extreme weight loss

Medical Definition

anorexia nervosa

noun

anorexia ner·​vo·​sa -(ˌ)nər-ˈvō-sə, -zə 

: a serious eating disorder that is characterized especially by a pathological fear of weight gain leading to faulty eating patterns, malnutrition, and usually excessive weight loss and that occurs most commonly in young women in their teens and early twenties