antidepressants
|an-ti-de-press-ant|
/ˌæn.ti.dɪˈprɛ.sənt/
(antidepressant)
counteracts depression
Etymology
'antidepressant' originates from the prefix 'anti-' (from Greek 'anti') and the element 'depressant' (from Latin 'deprimere'), where 'anti-' meant 'against' and Latin 'de-' meant 'down' while 'premere' meant 'to press'.
'antidepressant' developed in Modern English in the mid-20th century as a coined term based on 'anti-' + 'depressant'. The verb 'depress' entered English via Old French 'deprimer' from Latin 'deprimere', and earlier English formations such as 'antidepressive' also influenced the modern noun 'antidepressant'.
Initially it referred broadly to anything acting against depression; over time it became more specifically used to denote pharmaceutical drugs used to treat depressive disorders.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a drug or class of drugs used to treat clinical depression and other mood disorders.
She was prescribed antidepressants to help manage her symptoms.
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Adjective 1
having the effect of reducing or counteracting depression (often used of drugs or their effects).
The study reported clear antidepressant effects from the new medication.
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Last updated: 2025/08/30 16:41