an·ti·de·pres·sant
ˌan-tē-di-ˈpre-sᵊnt 
ˌan-ˌtī-
ˌan-ˌtī-
: used or tending to relieve or prevent depression
antidepressant drugs
: an antidepressant drug see ssri, tricyclic antidepressant
Examples of antidepressant in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Natalia V. Osipova, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Between 2016 and 2022, antidepressant prescriptions for kids aged 12 to 17 rose 69%.
—John La Puma, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Natalia V. Osipova, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
The filings Friday cited numerous poignant cases, including that of a 13-year-old girl held at Dilley who tried to take her own life after staff withheld prescribed antidepressants and denied her request to join her mother, as reported by the Associated Press.
—Garance Burke, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for antidepressant
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
This is a common step because some research suggests certain antidepressant medications could blunt psilocybin’s effects.
—Natalia V. Osipova, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Between 2016 and 2022, antidepressant prescriptions for kids aged 12 to 17 rose 69%.
—John La Puma, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
Before the retreat, Stem came off her antidepressant, in consultation with Confluence facilitators as well as her doctor (who Stem said was skeptical of the retreat).
—Natalia V. Osipova, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
The filings Friday cited numerous poignant cases, including that of a 13-year-old girl held at Dilley who tried to take her own life after staff withheld prescribed antidepressants and denied her request to join her mother, as reported by the Associated Press.
—Garance Burke, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for antidepressant
Cite this Entry
“Antidepressant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antidepressant. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
antidepressant
1 of 2 adjective
an·ti·de·pres·sant
ˌant-i-di-ˈpres-ᵊnt, ˌan-ˌtī-
variants
also antidepressive
: used or tending to relieve or prevent psychological depression : relating to, being, or utilizing an antidepressant
an antidepressant drug
antidepressant treatment
antidepressant
2 of 2 noun
variants
also antidepressive
: a drug used to treat psychological depression : an antidepressant drug
The dual-action antidepressant venlafaxine appears to demonstrate superior efficacy and higher rates of remission in severe depression as compared with either SSRIs such as fluoxetine or tricyclic antidepressants.—John Mann, The New England Journal of Medicine
John Mann, The New England Journal of Medicinecalled also energizer, psychic energizer, psychostimulant
see tricyclic antidepressantLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
