What does anorexic mean?
Anorexic is primarily an adjective describing someone who suffers from anorexia — most commonly anorexia nervosa, a serious eating disorder characterized by restricted food intake, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image. It can also function as a noun referring to a person with the condition. Derived from Greek roots meaning 'without appetite' (an-, 'not' + orexis, 'appetite'), the word entered English alongside the medical naming of anorexia in the nineteenth century. In everyday speech, anorexic is sometimes used loosely to describe extreme thinness, but this usage can trivialize a grave illness and many clinicians advocate person-first phrasing such as 'a person with anorexia.' The closely related form 'anorectic' appears frequently in medical writing. Because anorexia nervosa carries one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder, the word carries significant clinical and emotional weight, and careful, respectful use matters.
Suffering from or relating to anorexia, especially anorexia nervosa.
"He became anorexic during his final year of school and required hospital treatment."
In clinical settings, prefer precise terms like 'anorexia nervosa'; avoid using the word casually to describe thinness.
A person who suffers from anorexia.
"The support group offers counseling for anorexics and their families."
Person-first alternatives such as 'a person with anorexia' are increasingly preferred in sensitive contexts.
Used when referring to multiple people with anorexia; person-first phrasing is often preferred in modern clinical and journalistic writing.
"The ward treats both anorexics and patients with bulimia."
The word traces back to Greek 'an-' (without) and 'orexis' (appetite) — literally 'no appetite,' coined long before the modern eating disorder was named in the 19th century.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anorexic
The word derives from the Greek 'anorexia,' formed from 'an-' (a privative prefix meaning 'without') and 'orexis' (appetite or desire), so it literally means 'loss of appetite.' The Greek term was adopted into Latin and then into English medical vocabulary, where 'anorexia' long denoted simple loss of appetite from any cause. When anorexia nervosa was first clinically described in the latter half of the nineteenth century, 'anorexic' came to denote sufferers of that specific disorder. Cognate terms include 'anorectic' and 'anoretic,' which share the same Greek root.
Related word forms
How anorexic is actually used
Using 'anorexic' loosely to describe anyone very thin can trivialize a serious psychiatric illness and is often considered insensitive. In clinical contexts, 'anorexia nervosa' names the disorder itself, while 'anorexic' describes the person or condition. Some prefer person-first language such as 'a person with anorexia.' The related term 'anorectic' is used more often in medical literature.
Easily confused with anorexic
Anorexia is the eating disorder itself (the noun naming the condition), while anorexic describes a person who has it or something relating to it.