clinical depression

noun

: a serious mood disorder involving one or more episodes of intense psychological depression or loss of interest or pleasure that lasts two or more weeks and is accompanied by irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, sleep disturbances, weight gain or loss, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, and sometimes suicidal tendencies : major depression, major depressive disorder

Mild depression is a normal condition, a sadness brought on by life's circumstances. Clinical depression, on the other hand, is a sadness so deep that it can lead to suicide if left untreated.

—Brenda Lane Richardson

Examples of clinical depression in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Alice has clinical depression, maybe other comorbidities, and those are exacerbated not just by her workload, but by her department’s longstanding and long-internalized misogyny that even the strongest magick can’t fix. —Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025

Depression and Loneliness: Some studies have emphasized that heavy dating app users were significantly more likely to experience symptoms of clinical depression, emotional numbness and persistent loneliness compared to non-users. —Ximena Araya-Fischel, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

The album was highly personal, with songs addressing clinical depression, struggles with drugs and alcohol and being in an abusive relationship. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2025

While in college in 2006, Jade was diagnosed with clinical depression, ADHD and a learning disorder after her father encouraged her to seek treatment. —Makena Gera, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for clinical depression

• immunosuppression
• myelosuppression
• accession
• aggression
• compression
• concession
• confession
• digression
• discretion
• expression
• impression
• obsession

Medical Definition

clinical depression

noun

: a serious mood disorder involving one or more episodes of intense psychological depression or loss of interest or pleasure that lasts two or more weeks and is accompanied by irritability, fatigue, poor concentration, sleep disturbances, weight gain or loss, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, and sometimes suicidal tendencies : major depression, major depressive disorder

Cases of clinical depression present doctors with a nasty diagnostic challenge: The malady, which strikes about 10% of the population, comes in myriad forms, each requiring different treatments.

—Science