Meaning & use
exhibitionistic disorder
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablemedicalspecialist
A mental health condition in which a person feels a strong urge to expose their genitals to unsuspecting strangers.
Grammar: Uncountable; used with a singular verb. You can say 'a person with exhibitionistic disorder' but not 'an exhibitionistic disorder' in the clinical sense.
Patterns
- diagnosed with exhibitionistic disorder
- symptoms of exhibitionistic disorder
- treatment for exhibitionistic disorder
Exhibitionistic disorder is classified as a paraphilic disorder in diagnostic manuals.
People with exhibitionistic disorder may experience distress or legal problems because of their urges.
Treatment for exhibitionistic disorder often combines therapy with other support.
Common combinations
- be diagnosed with exhibitionistic disorder
- He was diagnosed with exhibitionistic disorder after several incidents.
- symptoms of exhibitionistic disorder
- The doctor asked about the symptoms of exhibitionistic disorder.
- treatment for exhibitionistic disorder
- Cognitive behavioral therapy is sometimes used as treatment for exhibitionistic disorder.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exhibitionism
- A broader everyday word that can mean either the clinical condition or simply attention-seeking behavior; the full term is more precise in medical contexts.
Word family
- exhibitionist noun
- A person who has exhibitionistic disorder or who behaves in an exhibitionistic way.
- exhibitionistic adjective
- Describing behavior that involves exposing oneself or seeking attention.
Commonly confused: exhibitionistic disorder or exhibitionism?
exhibitionistic disorder vs exhibitionism
In casual use, 'exhibitionism' often just means showing off; 'exhibitionistic disorder' is the specific clinical diagnosis.
Practice
Which sentence uses the term correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Diagnosed with exhibitionistic disorder' is the correct clinical use. Option B is wrong because 'exhibitionistic disorder' is not about art. Option C uses the noun as a verb. Option D confuses the condition with an art show.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “exhibitionistic disorder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.