de⋅pres⋅sion
[di-presh-uh
n]
| 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. |
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Depression
De*pres"sion\, n. [L. depressio: cf. F. d['e]pression.]1. The act of depressing. 2. The state of being depressed; a sinking. 3. A falling in of the surface; a sinking below its true place; a cavity or hollow; as, roughness consists in little protuberances and depressions. 4. Humiliation; abasement, as of pride. 5. Dejection; despondency; lowness. In a great depression of spirit. --Baker. 6. Diminution, as of trade, etc.; inactivity; dullness. 7. (Astron.) The angular distance of a celestial object below the horizon. 8. (Math.) The operation of reducing to a lower degree; -- said of equations. 9. (Surg.) A method of operating for cataract; couching. See Couch, v. t., 8. Angle of depression (Geod.), one which a descending line makes with a horizontal plane. Depression of the dewpoint (Meteor.), the number of degrees that the dew-point is lower than the actual temperature of the atmosphere. Depression of the pole, its apparent sinking, as the spectator goes toward the equator. Depression of the visible horizon. (Astron.) Same as Dip of the horizon, under Dip. Syn: Abasement; reduction; sinking; fall; humiliation; dejection; melancholy.Cite This Source
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.
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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.
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See also: Black Thursday, Contraction, Deflation, Emergency Banking Act of 1933
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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>
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depression de·pres·sion (dĭ-prěsh'ən)
n.
- The act of depressing or the state of being depressed.
- A reduction in physiological vigor or activity.
- A lowering in amount, degree, or position.
- An inward displacement of a body part.
- A hollow or sunken area.
- The condition of feeling sad or despondent.
- A psychotic or neurotic condition characterized by an inability to concentrate, insomnia, and feelings of extreme sadness, dejection, and hopelessness.
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depression (dĭ-prěsh'ən) Pronunciation Key
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Get Depression Info for Men, Women, Family, Friends & Older Adults.
www.Help-Treat-Depression.com
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