Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

depression

 - 6 dictionary results

de⋅pres⋅sion

[di-presh-uhn]
–noun
1. the act of depressing.
2. the state of being depressed.
3. a depressed or sunken place or part; an area lower than the surrounding surface.
4. sadness; gloom; dejection.
5. Psychiatry. a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason. Compare clinical depression.
6. dullness or inactivity, as of trade.
7. Economics. a period during which business, employment, and stock-market values decline severely or remain at a very low level of activity.
8. the Depression. Great Depression.
9. Pathology. a low state of vital powers or functional activity.
10. Astronomy. the angular distance of a celestial body below the horizon; negative altitude.
11. Surveying. the angle between the line from an observer or instrument to an object below either of them and a horizontal line.
12. Physical Geography. an area completely or mostly surrounded by higher land, ordinarily having interior drainage and not conforming to the valley of a single stream.
13. Meteorology. an area of low atmospheric pressure.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME (< AF) < ML dēpressiōn- (s. of dēpressiō), LL: a pressing down, equiv. to L dēpress(us) (see depress ) + -iōn- -ion


4. discouragement, despondency.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To depression
de·pres·sion   (dĭ-prěsh'ən)   
n.  
    1. The act of depressing.

    2. The condition of being depressed.

    3. A reduction in activity or force.

    4. A reduction in physiological vigor or activity: a depression in respiration.

    5. A lowering in amount, degree, or position.

    6. A period of drastic decline in a national or international economy, characterized by decreasing business activity, falling prices, and unemployment.

    7. Depression The worldwide economic depression from the late 1920s through the 1930s. In the United States, it began with the stock market crash in October, 1929.

  1. An area that is sunk below its surroundings; a hollow.

  2. The condition of feeling sad or despondent.

  3. Psychology A psychiatric disorder characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, loss of appetite, anhedonia, feelings of extreme sadness, guilt, helplessness and hopelessness, and thoughts of death. Also called clinical depression.

    1. A reduction in activity or force.

    2. A reduction in physiological vigor or activity: a depression in respiration.

    3. A lowering in amount, degree, or position.

    4. A period of drastic decline in a national or international economy, characterized by decreasing business activity, falling prices, and unemployment.

    5. Depression The worldwide economic depression from the late 1920s through the 1930s. In the United States, it began with the stock market crash in October, 1929.

  4. Economics

    1. A period of drastic decline in a national or international economy, characterized by decreasing business activity, falling prices, and unemployment.

    2. Depression The worldwide economic depression from the late 1920s through the 1930s. In the United States, it began with the stock market crash in October, 1929.

  5. Meteorology A region of low barometric pressure.

  6. The angular distance below the horizontal plane through the point of observation.

  7. Astronomy The angular distance of a celestial body below the horizon.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Cultural Dictionary

depression

A period of drastic decline in the national economy, characterized by decreasing business activity, falling prices, and unemployment. The best known of such periods is the Great Depression, which occurred in the 1930s.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Financial Dictionary

Depression

A severe and prolonged recession characterized by inefficient economic productivity, high unemployment, and falling price levels.

Investopedia Commentary

In times of depression, consumer's confidence and investments decrease, causing the economy to shutdown. The classical example of this occurred in the 1930s the Great Depression affected the global economy.

Related Links

The Greatest Market Crashes
Cyclical Versus Non-Cyclical Stocks
Policing The Securities Market: An Overview Of The SEC

See also: Black Thursday, Contraction, Deflation, Emergency Banking Act of 1933

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: de·pres·sion
Pronunciation: di-'presh-&n
Function: noun
1 : a displacement downward or inward <depression ofthe jaw>
2 : an act of depressing or a state of being depressed: as a (1) : a state of feeling sad (2) : a psychoneurotic or psychotic disorder markedespecially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, andsometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicide b : a reduction in functional activity, amount, quality, or force <depression of autonomic function><depression of red blood cells and platelets>
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Medical Dictionary

depression de·pres·sion (dĭ-prěsh'ən)
n.

  1. The act of depressing or the state of being depressed.

  2. A reduction in physiological vigor or activity.

  3. A lowering in amount, degree, or position.

  4. An inward displacement of a body part.

  5. A hollow or sunken area.

  6. The condition of feeling sad or despondent.

  7. A psychotic or neurotic condition characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, and feelings of extreme sadness, dejection, and hopelessness.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see depression on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: