Etymology
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addiction (n.)

c. 1600, "tendency, inclination, penchant" (a less severe sense now obsolete); 1640s as "state of being (self)-addicted" to a habit, pursuit, etc., from Latin addictionem (nominative addictio) "an awarding, a delivering up," noun of action from past-participle stem of addicere "to deliver, award; devote, consecrate, sacrifice" (see addict (v.)). In the sense "compulsion and need to take a drug as a result of prior use of it" from 1906, in reference to opium (there is an isolated instance from 1779 with reference to tobacco).

Origin and meaning of addiction

Entries linking to addiction

addict (v.)

1530s (implied in addicted) "to devote or give up (oneself) to a habit or occupation," from Latin addictus, past participle of addicere "to deliver, award, yield; make over, sell," properly "give one's assent to," figuratively "to devote, consecrate; sacrifice, sell out, betray, abandon," from ad "to" (see ad-) + dicere, which was usually "to say, declare" (from PIE root *deik- "to show," also "pronounce solemnly"), but also "adjudge, allot."

"It is a yielding to impulse, and generally a bad one" [Century Dictionary]. Old English glossed Latin addictus literally with forscrifen. Related: Addicted; addicting.

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Definitions of addiction

addiction (n.)
being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (especially alcohol or narcotic drugs);
Synonyms: dependence / dependance / dependency / habituation
addiction (n.)
an abnormally strong craving;
addiction (n.)
(Roman law) a formal award by a magistrate of a thing or person to another person (as the award of a debtor to his creditor); a surrender to a master;
under Roman law addiction was the justification for slavery
From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near addiction

added

addendum

adder

addict

addicted

addiction

addictive

additament

addition

additional

additive

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