antidepressant

[ an-tee-di-pres-uhnt, an-tahy- ]

adjective
  1. of or relating to a substance that is used in the treatment of mood disorders, as characterized by various manic or depressive affects.

noun
  1. Also called energizer, psychic energizer. any such substance, as a tricyclic antidepressant, MAO inhibitor, or lithium.

Origin of antidepressant

1
First recorded in 1960–65; anti- + depressant
  • Also an·ti-de·pres·sant, an·ti·de·pres·sive [an-tee-di-pres-iv, an-tahy-]. /ˌæn ti dɪˈprɛs ɪv, ˌæn taɪ-/.

Words Nearby antidepressant

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How to use antidepressant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for antidepressant

antidepressant

/ (ˌæntɪdɪˈprɛsənt) /


noun
  1. any of a class of drugs used to alleviate depression

adjective
  1. of or relating to this class of drugs

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for antidepressant

antidepressant

[ ăn′tē-dĭ-prĕsənt, ăn′tī- ]


  1. A drug used to prevent or treat depression.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.