First Known Use: 1596
Dictionary
aversion
noun aver·sion \ə-ˈvər-zhən, -shən\
: a strong feeling of not liking something
Full Definition of AVERSION
1
obsolete : the act of turning away
2
a : a feeling of repugnance toward something with a desire to avoid or turn from it <regards drunkenness with aversion> b : a settled dislike : antipathy <expressed an aversion to parties> c : a tendency to extinguish a behavior or to avoid a thing or situation and especially a usually pleasurable one because it is or has been associated with a noxious stimulus
3
: an object of aversion <inconstancy is my aversion — Jane Austen>
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Examples of AVERSION
- Diners who want to reduce the size of their environmental footprint might reassess their aversion to bugs, DeFoliart says. —Janet Raloff, Science News, 7 June 2008
- A 16-year Monitor veteran with no previous combat experience, Tyson said she has yet to start reading newspapers on a regular basis because of her aversion to war news and does not like talking about it yet. —Joe Strupp, Editor & Publisher, 21 Apr. 2003
- The answer was revealing in many ways. It showed his dark humor, aversion to sentimentality, keen understanding of the role that realism must play in a messy world, and somewhat less keen appreciation for the role that morality plays in sustaining a democracy's foreign policy. —Walter Isaacson, New Republic, 16 Dec. 2002
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Origin of AVERSION
(see averse)
Related to AVERSION
Other Psychology Terms
Rhymes with AVERSION
AVERSION Defined for Kids
aversion
noun aver·sion \ə-ˈvər-zhən\
Definition of AVERSION for Kids
1
: a strong dislike
2
: something strongly disliked
Medical Dictionary
aversion
noun aver·sion \ə-ˈvər-zhən, -shən\
Medical Definition of AVERSION
1
: a feeling of repugnance toward something with a desire to avoid or turn from it
2
: a tendency to extinguish a behavior or to avoid a thing or situation and especially a usually pleasurable one because it is or has been associated with a noxious stimulus <conditioning of food aversions by drug injection>
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