antidepressant

American  

[an-tee-di-pres-uhnt, an-tahy-] / ˌæn ti dɪˈprɛs ənt, ˌæn taɪ- /

Also anti-depressant,

adjective

1. of or relating to a substance that is used in the treatment of mood disorders, as characterized by various manic or depressive affects.

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noun

1. Also called energizer, psychic energizer.  any such substance, as a tricyclic antidepressant, MAO inhibitor, or lithium.

antidepressant British  

/ ˌæntɪdɪˈprɛsənt /

noun

1. any of a class of drugs used to alleviate depression

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adjective

1. of or relating to this class of drugs

antidepressant Scientific  

/ ăn′tē-dĭ-prĕs′ənt,ăn′tī- /

1. A drug used to prevent or treat depression.

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Etymology

Origin of antidepressant

First recorded in 1960–65; anti- + depressant

Example Sentences

Quetiapine is a prescription antipsychotic medication and mirtazapine is a prescription antidepressant.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

If ketamine’s antidepressant effect owed to, say, inducing neuroplasticity, the drug should still work even if participants were unconscious.

From Slate • Jan. 30, 2026

The second group received escitalopram, a commonly prescribed antidepressant, along with a placebo for Yueju Pill.

From Science Daily • Jan. 4, 2026

OpenAI noted that the woman in the case study said she was prone to “magical thinking,” and was on an antidepressant and a stimulant and had gone long stretches without sleep before her hospitalizations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 28, 2025

Dill finally had health insurance and was able to see a real therapist and get on a good antidepressant medication.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner