# anal-retentive

> English word · Adjective

## Definitions
1. Preoccupied with achieving perfection, order and control and with collecting, possessing, and retaining objects.
2. Overly obsessive concerning small details.

## Etymology
From anal + retentive. First use appears c. 1936 in the writings of Marjorie Brierley.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/anal-retentive