SSRI

American  

abbreviation

Pharmacology.

1. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor: a class of drugs that prolong the action of serotonin in the brain by inhibiting its reabsorption by neurons, used mainly to treat depression.

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SSRI British  

abbreviation

1. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor; any of a class of drugs, including fluvoxamine, paroxetine, fluoxetine (Prozac), and Lustral, that increase concentrations of serotonin in the brain: used in the treatment of depression

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SSRI Scientific  

/ ĕs′ĕs-är-ī′ /

1. Short for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Any of a class of drugs that inhibit the uptake of serotonin in the central nervous system and are used to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders.

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Etymology

Origin of SSRI

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

In response, the pharmaceutical industry developed Prozac, the first SSRI.

From Salon • Jun. 4, 2025

I never thought I needed an SSRI, but now that I’m on one, I can’t believe I suffered so much before.

From Slate • Feb. 23, 2023

If depression were caused by a deficit of serotonin, you’d feel better in a day or so after taking an SSRI.

From Washington Post • Oct. 10, 2022

In the late 1980s, the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly introduced the antidepressant Prozac, a so-called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, or SSRI, which supposedly elevates mood by altering levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

From Scientific American • Jan. 23, 2021

“After a few days, you get this sensitization of 5-HT1A, like you would with an SSRI, and increased serotonin signalling,” she says.

From Nature • Aug. 27, 2019