depression

play

noun de·pres·sion \di-ˈpre-shən, dē-\

Definition of depression

1a astronomy : the angular distance of a celestial object below the horizonb mathematics : the size of an angle of depression
2 : an act of depressing or a state of being depressed: such asa : a pressing down : lowering a depression of the tab keyb (1) : a state of feeling sad : dejection anger, anxiety, and depression (2) : a mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies bouts of depression suffering from clinical depressionc (1) : a reduction in activity, amount, quality, or force a depression in trade (2) biology : a lowering of physical or mental vitality or of functional activity
3 : a place or part that is lower than the surrounding area : a depressed place or part : hollow The chicken pox left several depressions in her skin.
4 meteorology : ⁴low 1b a tropical depression
5 economics : a period of low general economic activity marked especially by rising levels of unemployment heading towards a depression periods of economic depression

See depression defined for English-language learners

See depression defined for kids

Examples of depression in a Sentence

She has been undergoing treatment for severe depression.
Many people suffer from clinical depression for years before being diagnosed.
After several years of an economic boom, it looks as though we may be heading toward a depression.
The photographs show depressions in the moon's surface.

Recent Examples of depression from the Web

Burdette said her mother, also a nurse, has had a difficult life and has suffered from bipolar disorder and depression.

— amanda marrazzo, chicagotribune.com, "Woman who caused fatal crash after taking heroin gets 16 years in prison", 5 July 2017
Central Atlantic low pressure still has the potential to become a tropical depression today or tomorrow.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "Atlantic tropical cyclone likely by Friday", 5 July 2017
Activists have also been alarmed by Liu Xia's gradual descent into depression after the soft-spoken poet and artist was forcibly sequestered by state security at home during her husband's imprisonment.

— Bloomberg.com, "China's Jailed Nobel Peace Laureate Liu Xiaobo Granted Medical Parole", 26 June 2017
Insomnia is more common in females, people with a history of depression, and in people older than 60.

— cincinnati enquirer, Cincinnati.com, "How to fix common sleep problems", 26 June 2017
But contrary to fears of emotional trauma, neither the sequencing group nor the control group showed any changes in anxiety or depression 6 months after the study.

— ryan cross, Science | AAAS, "One in five “healthy” adults may carry disease-related genetic mutations", 26 June 2017
Depression is all too common, especially among people in the tech sector.

— rene chun, Los Angeles Magazine, "Inside the Los Angeles Clinic That Uses Ketamine to Treat Depression", 19 June 2017
A study published last year in the journal Pediatrics found that teen depression is up a staggering 37 percent from the previous decade.

— nick bilton, The Hive, "Is Social Media on the Table in 2020?", 12 June 2017
Modern research has backed up his claim, showing that walking in natural landscapes can reduce depression.

— marina koren, The Atlantic, "People Are Turning to Outer Space for Relief From Trump News", 2 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'depression'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of depression

see depress

NEW!

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Psychology Terms

fetish, hypochondria, intelligence, mania, narcissism, neurosis, pathological, psychosis, schadenfreude, subliminal

DEPRESSION Defined for English Language Learners

depression

play

noun

Definition of depression for English Language Learners

: a state of feeling sad
: a serious medical condition in which a person feels very sad, hopeless, and unimportant and often is unable to live in a normal way
: a period of time in which there is little economic activity and many people do not have jobs

DEPRESSION Defined for Kids

depression

play

noun de·pres·sion \di-ˈpre-shən\

Definition of depression for Students

1 : an act of pressing down depression of the brake pedal
2 : a hollow place or part My foot made a depression in the sand.
3 : a feeling of sadness Your support eased my depression.
4 : a period of low activity in business with much unemployment

Medical Dictionary

depression

play

noun de·pres·sion \di-ˈpresh-ən\

Medical Definition of depression

1: a displacement downward or inward depression of the jaw
2: an act of depressing or a state of being depressed: asa (1): a state of feeling sad (2): a mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicideb: a reduction in functional activity, amount, quality, or force depression of autonomic function depression of red blood cells