affective disorder

American

noun

Psychiatry.

any mental disorder, as depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or cyclothymia, in which a major disturbance of feelings or emotions is predominant.

affective disorder British

noun

any mental disorder, such as depression or mania, that is characterized by abnormal disturbances of mood

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

affective disorder Scientific

/ ə-fĕk′tĭv /

See mood disorder

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

affective disorder

The first theory traces back to the same underlying factor that causes the stock market to perform poorly in September: a big uptick in seasonal affective disorder.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

The inquest heard that Maria Morris, who worked as a teaching assistant, had bi-polar affective disorder.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2025

And for people whose work schedules or lifestyles make it challenging to spend time in the sun, indoor light therapy lamps that mimic natural light have been shown to combat seasonal affective disorder.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2024

Lemonaid began treating seasonal affective disorder last winter for $95 a month.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 26, 2023

Subsequent studies in humans established connections between carbohydrates and mood, especially in relation to obesity, depression and seasonal affective disorder.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2023

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023