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constructive ; the synthesis in living organisms of more complex substances from simpler ones (opposed to ).
Contemporary Examples

The owner of anabolic had paid a pretty penny for this location.
Aurora Snow: Inside the L.A. Coliseum Porno Aurora Snow May 30, 2012

anabolic steroids, hailing from the world of male sex hormones—androgens like testosterone—are the second PED.
Where Were the Doctors to Testify at Roger Clemens’s Perjury Trial? Kent Sepkowitz June 19, 2012

Hooton said that the foundation would continue reaching out to young people about the dangers of anabolic steroids.
A-Rod Let Us Down Ben Jacobs August 6, 2013

Historical Examples

As stated by its authors the theory is, that the female is everywhere “anabolic,” as compared with the male, which is “katabolic.”
Darwin, and After Darwin, Volume II (of 3) George John Romanes

For money is the sinews of anabolic and Katabolic warfare also.
Gray youth Oliver Onions

Menstruation, reproduction, and lactation are at once the cause of an anabolic surplus and the means of getting rid of it.
Sex and Society William I. Thomas

Amory called these fiends and angels the anabolic and the Katabolic forces in human progress.
Gray youth Oliver Onions

anabolic: the constructive change from food material to animal tissue: see katabolic.
Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology John. B. Smith

Both katabolic and anabolic changes share in the depression, and though less energy is used up, still less energy is generated.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Part 1, Slice 1 Various

These two classes of external forces, disruptive and constructive, are called katabolic and anabolic.
The Truth About Woman C. Gasquoine Hartley

adjective
of or relating to anabolism
noun
a metabolic process in which complex molecules are synthesized from simpler ones with the storage of energy; constructive metabolism Compare catabolism
adj.

“pertaining to the process of building up (especially in metabolism),” 1876, from Greek anabole “that which is thrown up; a mound,” from anaballein “to throw or toss up,” from ana “up, upward” (see ana-) + ballein “to throw” (see ballistics).
n.

1886; see anabolic + -ism.

anabolism a·nab·o·lism (ə-nāb’ə-lĭz’əm)
n.
The phase of metabolism in which simple substances are synthesized into the complex materials of living tissue.
an’a·bol’ic (ān’ə-bŏl’ĭk) adj.
anabolism
(ə-nāb’ə-lĭz’əm)
The phase of metabolism in which complex molecules, such as the proteins and fats that make up body tissue, are formed from simpler ones. Compare catabolism.

anabolic adjective

The chemical reactions that synthesize molecules in metabolism. (Compare catabolism.)

Note: Athletes often attempt to improve their performance by speeding up this molecule-building process through the use of drugs called anabolic steroids, despite the potential health risks involved. This use is outlawed in many athletic competitions, such as the Olympic Games.