eating disorder

noun

: any of several psychological disorders (such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia) characterized by serious disturbances of eating behavior

Examples of eating disorder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As with many Black women with eating disorders, my muscles clung to my bones, my thighs stood their ground, regardless of the weight dropping from my stomach and breasts. Leila Mottley, Vogue, 27 Apr. 2026 Jess Scheer, the CEO of The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), says there’s a strong association between obsessive tracking and disordered eating and eating disorders. Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 24 Apr. 2026 Related Stories Quinn, created in 2019 when Spiegel was a college student recovering from an eating disorder and experiencing a loss of libido, launched as an app in 2021, with romance novels read in sensual, digestible clips. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026 Smithing, 25, was inspired to become an advocate after she was served extreme dieting content on social media as a teenager and developed an eating disorder. Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for eating disorder

Word History

First Known Use

1961, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of eating disorder was in 1961

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eating disorder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eating%20disorder. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

eating disorder

noun
: any of several disorders (as bulimia) marked by abnormal eating behaviors

Medical Definition

eating disorder

noun
: any of several psychological disorders (as anorexia nervosa or bulimia) characterized by serious disturbances of eating behavior

More from Merriam-Webster on eating disorder

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster