depression
UK[dɪˈprɛʃn]US[dɪˈprɛʃn]
n
A medical condition in which a person feels very sad, anxious, and without hope, often over a long period.
n
A period when there is little economic activity and many people are poor or without jobs.
n
A part of a surface that is lower than the parts around it.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
press
ion
de
down
press
press
ion
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'depression' originates from the Latin verb premere, meaning "to press." Combined with the intensive prefix de- ("down"), it formed the Late Latin deprimere, "to press down, to sink." The noun form depressio emerged in Medieval Latin to describe the act of pressing down or a sunken state, both physically and metaphorically. This concrete sense of being physically pressed down evolved in English to describe geographical hollows, economic downturns (a metaphorical "sinking"), and ultimately, the psychological state of being weighed down by low spirits, formalized as a medical term in the 19th century.
Analysis
Structure: de (down) + press (press) + ion (noun suffix)
de: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "down, away, off, completely."
press: Latin origin (from premere, "to press"), acting as the core root.
ion: Latin origin, a suffix forming nouns denoting action or condition.
Examples
She sought help for her clinical depression.
The Great Depression of the 1930s affected millions worldwide.
The car's wheels got stuck in a shallow depression in the road.