depression definition

English depression definition

Etymology

From Middle English depression, depressioun, from Old French depression, from Latin dēpressiō.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪˈpɹɛʃən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /dəˈpɹɛʃ(ə)n/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛʃən
• Hyphenation: de‧pres‧sion

Noun

depression (countable and uncountable, plural depressions)

1. (psychology, usually uncountable) A state of mind producing serious, long-term lowering of enjoyment of life or inability to visualize a happy future.

   I used to suffer from depression, but now I'm mostly content with my life.

   • 1988 December 19, William Styron, “Why Primo Levi Need Not Have Died”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     It is that Mr. Levi's death could not be dissociated from the major depression with which he was afflicted, and that indeed his suicide proceeded directly from that illness.

2. (psychology, countable) A period of low morale or unhappiness (a period of experiencing the above-mentioned state of mind) which lasts longer than several weeks and may include ideation of self-inflicted injury or suicide.
   • 2011 February 28, David J. Miklowitz, The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide, Second Edition: What You and Your Family Need to Know, Guilford Press, →ISBN, page 106:

     […] your illness reflects the textbook description of bipolar disorder (euphoric, grandiose, manic highs followed by deep depressions, […]

   • 2014 September 16, Andrew Solomon, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas Of Depression, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 73:

     His first major breakdown occurred when his son was five years old; he continued to go to pieces periodically, with a particularly deep depression that lasted from the time Bill was in sixth grade until the time he finished junior high […]

   • 2016 January 14, Danuta Wasserman, Suicide: An unnecessary death, Oxford University Press, →ISBN:

     Many alcoholics who die from suicide suffer from deep depressions that are quite frequently protracted, […]

3. (geography) An area that is lower in topography than its surroundings.
   • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:

     It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.

4. (meteorology) An area of lowered air pressure that generally brings moist weather, sometimes promoting hurricanes and tornadoes.
5. (economics) A period of major economic contraction.
6. (economics, US) Four consecutive quarters of negative, real GDP growth. See NBER.

   The Great Depression was the worst financial event in US history.

7. The act of lowering or pressing something down.

   Depression of the lever starts the machine.

8. (biology, physiology) A lowering, in particular a reduction in a particular biological variable or the function of an organ, in contrast to elevation.

Derived terms

Related terms

• depress
• depressant
• depressing
• depressive

Translations

See also

• downturn

References

• “depression”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• depression in Keywords for Today: A 21st Century Vocabulary, edited by The Keywords Project, Colin MacCabe, Holly Yanacek, 2018.
• “depression”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Further reading

• National Bureau of Economic Research on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• opensiders, personised, sideperson

Danish depression definition

Noun

depression c (singular definite depressionen, plural indefinite depressioner)

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.

Declension

Further reading

• “depression” in Den Danske Ordbog

Finnish depression definition

Noun

depression

1. genitive singular of depressio

Swedish depression definition

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

Noun

depression c

1. depression (all meanings).

Declension