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affective disorder

American  

noun

Psychiatry.
  1. 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

  1. 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-fĕktĭv /

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.

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

From BBC • Oct. 14, 2025

“One of the suspected causes of seasonal affective disorder is decreased serotonin production due to lowered exposure to sunlight,” she said.

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

In designing the globes, he applied techniques he had explored in dealing with seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression associated with shorter periods of seasonal daylight.

From New York Times • Mar. 24, 2023