Phrase guide

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Any of a class of drugs, such as fluoxetine or sertraline, that inhibit the uptake of serotonin in the central nervous system and are often used to treat certain mental illnesses, such as depression.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: medicine, pharmacology, sciences

Examples

  • 2006, Campion Quinn, 100 Questions & Answers about Autism, Jones & Bartlett Publishers, page 109, Common types of treatment for depression include the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the tricyclic antidepressants.
  • 2016, Medical Therapies, entry in Harold L. Miller, Jr. (editor), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Psychology, SAGE Publications, page 537, Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors exert their initial antidepressant effects by inhibiting the transport of serotonin into the presynaptic neuron and thereby increasing synaptic concentrations of serotonin.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Hungarian: szelektív szerotoninvisszavétel-gátló — any of a class of drugs that inhibit the uptake of serotonin in the central nervous system
  • Russian: селекти́вный ингиби́тор обра́тного захва́та серотони́на (selektívnyj ingibítor obrátnovo zaxváta serotonína) — any of a class of drugs that inhibit the uptake of serotonin in the central nervous system
  • Spanish: inhibidor selectivo de la recaptación de serotonina — any of a class of drugs that inhibit the uptake of serotonin in the central nervous system