sertraline

American  

[sur-truh-leen] / ˈsɜr trəˌlin /

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a drug, C 17 H 17 NCl 2 HCl, of the SSRI class, used in the treatment of depression.

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Etymology

Origin of sertraline

First recorded in 1980–85; shortening of ser(otonin) (te)tra-(naphtha)l(ene) (am)ine

Example Sentences

That earlier research found that sertraline eased anxiety before it had a measurable impact on depression.

From Science Daily • Nov. 8, 2025

Many people have been helped by antidepressants, the most common of which are so-called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, including sertraline, also known as Zoloft, and escitalopram—brand name Lexapro.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 19, 2025

The antidepressants sertraline and paroxetine, both greenlit by FDA in 2000, generally have a small effect and work in less than two-thirds of patients, Rothbaum notes.

From Science Magazine • Jun. 5, 2024

A copy of a confidential 1996 memo from firm Pfizer - which originally sold sertraline, now the UK's most common antidepressant - shows employees discussing what the drug company would tell regulators in Norway.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2023

Moreover, at least one antidepressant, sertraline, promoted the transfer of genes between bacterial cells, a process that can speed up the spread of resistance through a population.

From Scientific American • Jan. 26, 2023