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
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Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
The majority of antidepressant prescriptions in the United States are written not by psychiatrists but by primary care physicians — clinicians who manage large numbers of patients, short visits, and limited psychiatric training.
—Jonathan Slater, STAT, 13 May 2026
Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Concerns about whether antidepressants cause harms to developing fetuses, including neurodevelopmental disorders, have grown in recent years.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
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Adjective
Initially, the authors found maternal antidepressant use during pregnancy was linked with a 35% higher risk of ADHD and a 69% higher risk of autism without intellectual disabilities.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 14 May 2026
The majority of antidepressant prescriptions in the United States are written not by psychiatrists but by primary care physicians — clinicians who manage large numbers of patients, short visits, and limited psychiatric training.
—Jonathan Slater, STAT, 13 May 2026
Noun
Since arriving at the FDA last March, Hoeg led investigations into the safety of injectable RSV drugs for children, antidepressants and COVID-19 vaccinations.
—Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 16 May 2026
Concerns about whether antidepressants cause harms to developing fetuses, including neurodevelopmental disorders, have grown in recent years.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 14 May 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 19 May. 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
