Behavior
craving Audio
crav·ing [ krey-ving ]
Subclass of:
Intrinsic drive
Definitions related to craving:
  • An intense, urgent, or abnormal desire or longing (for food, drugs, alcohol, etc.)
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2021
  • Intense desire to satisfy the inner need for something; for example drug, food, activity, etc; coordinate with desired subject.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • Intense, often irrepressible urge for something; often a symptom of dependence on drugs, alcohol or addiction.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • The desire to experience the effect(s) of a previously used psycho-active substance. It has to be noted that not all drug craving is based on withdrawal, since craving can often occur in the absence of withdrawal.
    NCI Thesaurus
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.