anx·i·e·ty (ng-z-t)
n. pl. anx·i·e·ties
1.
a. A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties.
b. A cause of anxiety: For some people, air travel is a real anxiety.
2. Psychiatry A state of apprehension, uncertainty, and fear resulting from the anticipation of a realistic or fantasized threatening event or situation, often impairing physical and psychological functioning.
3. Eager, often agitated desire: my anxiety to make a good impression.
[Latin nxiets, from nxius, anxious; see anxious.]
Synonyms: anxiety, worry, care, concern, solicitude
These nouns refer to troubled states of mind. Anxiety suggests feelings of fear and apprehension: "Feelings of resentment and rage over this devious form of manipulation cannot surface in the child.... At the most, he will experience feelings of anxiety, shame, insecurity, and helplessness" (Alice Miller).
Worry implies persistent doubt or fear: "Having come to a decision the lad felt a sense of relief from the worry that had haunted him for many sleepless nights" (Edgar Rice Burroughs).
Care denotes a state of mind burdened by heavy responsibilities: The old man's face was worn with care.
Concern stresses serious thought combined with emotion: "Concern for man himself and his fate must always form the chief interest of all technical endeavors" (Albert Einstein).
Solicitude is active and sometimes excessive concern for another's well-being: "Animosity had given way ... to worried solicitude for Lindbergh's safety" (Warren Trabant).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
anxiety [æ??za??t?]
n pl -ties
1. a state of uneasiness or tension caused by apprehension of possible future misfortune, danger, etc.; worry
2. intense desire; eagerness
3. (Psychology) Psychol a state of intense apprehension or worry often accompanied by physical symptoms such as shaking, intense feelings in the gut, etc., common in mental illness or after a very distressing experience See also angst
[from Latin anxietas; see anxious]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
anxiety (ng-z-t)
A state of apprehension and fear resulting from the anticipation of a threatening event or situation. In psychiatry, a patient has an anxiety disorder if normal psychological functioning is disrupted or if anxiety persists without an identifiable cause.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
... That is anxiety... if someone feels anxiety, they're anxious, or apprehensive... This is 'a', indeed 'the main' meaning of anxiety. What I said in my post, related to this, the 'common' definition of anxiety.
I was not sure if the 'anxiety' people talked about here was this kind of anxiety, as they seemed to talk about it on its' own. Therefore, I asked what people mean when they talk about anxiety, whilst at the same time, stating what my usual understanding of the term 'anxiety' was, so that you could tell me how this was different, or the same.
