Fixation
/fɪkˈseɪʃən/
Definitions
3 meaningsAn obsessive preoccupation or interest in something or someone.
/fɪkˈseɪʃən/
An obsessive interest in or attachment to someone or something.
His fixation on collecting vintage cars consumed all his free time.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone can't stop thinking about or focusing on something, like always talking about their favorite celebrity or always wanting to play the same video game. It's like their brain is 'stuck' on that one thing.
👶 For kids: It means when you really, really like or want something, and you can't stop thinking about it, like a favorite toy.
More Examples
The psychologist examined the patient's fixation on cleanliness.
Her fixation on the past prevented her from enjoying the present.
How It's Used
"The therapist identified the patient's fixation on his childhood as a source of his anxiety."
"Her fixation with social media was affecting her studies."
In Freudian psychology, the state of being arrested at a particular stage of psychosexual development.
/fɪkˈseɪʃən/
In psychology, a state where development is arrested at a particular stage.
A lack of resolution at a certain psychosexual stage can lead to fixation.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're trying to learn to ride a bike. If you keep falling at a certain point, you might get 'stuck' at that stage. In psychology, it's a similar idea – getting stuck in a certain phase of growing up.
👶 For kids: It's like getting stuck on a level in a game and not being able to move to the next level because of a problem you can't solve.
More Examples
The concept of fixation is central to understanding certain personality disorders.
Freud believed that fixations in early childhood could profoundly affect later life.
How It's Used
"Freud's theory includes the concept of fixation, where unresolved conflicts can lead to psychological issues."
The act of fixing or the state of being fixed; the process of making something stable or permanent.
/fɪkˈseɪʃən/
The action of fixing or the state of being fixed.
The fixation of the specimen in formaldehyde preserved its structure.
💡 Simply: It's like making something stay still or making it permanent. For example, when you take a photo, the 'fixation' is what makes the picture stick around on the paper. Or, when you're making a model and glue the pieces together.
👶 For kids: It means to stick something really well so it doesn't move. Like when you glue your artwork to the paper and it stays there.
More Examples
The final step in the photographic process involves the fixation of the image.
The chemical fixation process ensured the stability of the dye.
How It's Used
"The photographer used a chemical solution for the fixation of the image on the paper."
"The fixation of nitrogen in the soil is vital for plant growth."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
have a fixation on
To be strongly interested in or preoccupied with someone or something.
"He has a fixation on winning."
From French *fixation*, from *fixer* ('to fix'), from Latin *figere* ('to fasten'). The term gained prominence in psychology through Sigmund Freud's theories.
The word's use increased significantly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries due to the rise of psychoanalysis and its theories about the human psyche.
Memory tip
Think of a sticky note *fixed* to something—that's a fixation!
Word Origin
"to fix, fasten"