fixation.

1. An unusually persistent focus on a person, idea, or concern.

2. Treatment that stabilizes biological material to preserve its structure.

3. Conversion of a substance into a form available for biological use.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• fixation on an idea
• enduring fixation

On the page

Her fixation on the missing page delayed the project.

Usage notes

Primary category: psychology / human behavior. Forms: Singular fixation; plural fixations. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: character, interpretation. Commonness: moderately common.