Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

clinical depression

American  

noun

  1. Psychiatry. a depression so severe as to be considered abnormal, either because of no obvious environmental causes, or because the reaction to unfortunate life circumstances is more intense or prolonged than would generally be expected.


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:

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman’s hospitalization for clinical depression in 2023 was disclosed relatively early and covered extensively, with a focus on transparency and recovery.

From Salon Jul. 2, 2026

The goal is to determine whether these attention patterns contribute to a higher likelihood of developing clinical depression later in life.

From Science Daily Jun. 17, 2026

Mr. Macmillan doesn’t lose sight of the central truths about clinical depression: that the causes are often inscrutable, its persistence can be intractable, and temporary relief often leads only to recurrence.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 13, 2026

She believes she was targeted by him because of her mental health issues, which at the time included clinical depression and Tourettes.

From BBC Sep. 30, 2025

At the time, I had no knowledge of the grief process, clinical depression, or survivor’s guilt syndrome.

From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training