Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

anal-retentive

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.21 in modern English

Syllables
anal-re-ten-tive
IPA
16
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Preoccupied with achieving perfection, order and control and with collecting, possessing, and retaining objects.

adj

Overly obsessive concerning small details.

Etymology

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

Inflected Forms

more anal-retentive (comparative) most anal-retentive (superlative)

Phrases

anal-retentiveness

Frequently Paired Words

anal-expulsive

Synonyms

anal

Questions

What does anal-retentive mean?
Preoccupied with achieving perfection, order and control and with collecting, possessing, and retaining objects.
Where does anal-retentive come from?
From anal + retentive. First use appears c. 1936 in the writings of Marjorie Brierley.

How to pronounce anal-retentive

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “anal-retentive”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “anal-retentive”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “anal-retentive” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.