Glossary

Key relationship terms used across our articles, defined plainly.

Attachment style: A pattern of how a person bonds with romantic partners — secure, anxious, avoidant, or disorganised.
Boundary: A clear limit you set with another person to protect your wellbeing — not a wall, but a door with a handle on your side.
Gaslighting: A pattern of manipulation where one partner systematically makes the other doubt their own perception of reality.
Love bombing: Excessive affection or attention early in a relationship, often used to fast-track emotional dependency.
No contact: A deliberate period of zero communication after a breakup, usually 30+ days, to allow space for healing.
Stonewalling: Refusing to engage in conversation during conflict — a recognised predictor of relationship breakdown.
Emotional infidelity: A meaningful emotional or romantic connection with someone outside the relationship, with or without physical contact.