someone who is physiologically dependent on a substance; abrupt deprivation of the substance produces withdrawal symptoms
"The chronic heroin user suffered severe tremors and nausea after abruptly stopping his supply, proving he was truly an addict in the physiological sense."
A person who is addicted, especially to a harmful drug
"The recovering addict has been clean from heroin for over five years."
In plain English: An addict is someone who can't stop using something because they are so dependent on it that their life revolves around getting more of it.
"He is an addict who struggles to control his desire for cigarettes."
Usage: Use the noun form specifically to describe someone dependent on drugs or other habits. Avoid confusing this with "addictive," which describes things that cause addiction rather than people themselves.
To deliver (someone or something) following a judicial decision.
"The judge ordered that the addict be delivered to his parole officer immediately after sentencing."
In plain English: To addict someone means to make them so dependent on something that they cannot stop using it even when they want to.
"He is addicted to checking his phone every time he sits down."
The word "addict" comes from the Latin addictus, which originally meant to be delivered or surrendered. It entered English with this sense of being devoted to something rather than its modern meaning related to substance dependence.