obsession
/əbˈsɛʃən/
noun
Origin
Latin
obsidere — to besiege, blockade, or occupy
Overview
Meaning Now
- The domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, or desire.
- A persistent, troubling, and often unreasonable idea or feeling that cannot be easily dismissed from the mind.
Literal older meaning
A besieging or blockade
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
obsessio
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
Historically, the term was used primarily in religious contexts to describe the 'besieging' of a person by demonic forces, distinct from 'possession' where the spirit enters the body. The psychological usage emerged in the 19th century as medicine replaced theology as the primary lens for understanding compulsive behavior.
Evolution
- Latin
obsidere
“to sit before or besiege”
Formed from ob- (before) + sedere (to sit).
- Late Latin
obsessio
“a siege or a haunting by an evil spirit”
Applied in ecclesiastical contexts to the external influence of a demon.
- Middle French
obsession
“siege or spiritual oppression”
- Early Modern English
obsession
“the action of a spirit in besieging a person”
- Modern English
obsession
“fixated state of mind”
Secularized sense of mental preoccupation.
Connections
Word parts
ob-
prefix
against, before
sess-
root
to sit (from sedere)
-ion
suffix
suffix indicating a state or action
Related words
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Related to obsession
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.