anal

[eyn-l] / ˈeɪn l /

ADJECTIVE

excessively orderly

Synonyms

STRONGEST

fussy persnickety picky

STRONG

fastidious nitpicking

WEAK

meticulous particular stickling

Antonyms

STRONGEST

messy nonchalant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Unmarried men had five times the rate of anal cancer; unmarried women experienced three times the rate of cervical cancer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

"It's all about giving them the words and terminology to break the stigma including telling their family and their employer about anal cancer," she said.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

I’m kind of anal about how I choose the colors and how I highlight everything.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 14, 2025

If you’ve been vaccinated against HPV, you almost certainly aren’t going to die of cervical or anal or throat cancer.

From Slate • Nov. 21, 2024

I drew a dorsal fin on top and an anal fin on the bottom, to prevent the shark from rolling side to side when it was moving forward.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen