Synonyms

eating disorder

American

noun

any of various disorders, as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, characterized by severe disturbances in eating habits.

eating disorder Scientific

/ ē′tĭng /

Any of several patterns of severely disturbed eating behavior, especially anorexia nervosa and bulimia, seen mainly in female teenagers and young women.

Etymology

Origin of eating disorder

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“It kind of affected me, but I already had body dysmorphia symptoms long before she started showing symptoms of an eating disorder,” Kaley said.

From Los Angeles Times

Since February 2025, online pharmacies have been required to employ stricter checks to stop people who are already a healthy weight or have a history of eating disorders buying weight-loss jabs.

From BBC

An eating disorder charity said it was "incredibly worrying" that the injections were available "without even the most basic due diligence".

From BBC

It accepts children aged 12 to 17 who are usually at crisis point with a range of mental health illnesses including eating disorders, depression and psychosis.

From BBC

Amber Glenn recalls struggling with depression and an eating disorder early in her career.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023