Meanings
nounneurotransmitter (plural neurotransmitters)
plural neurotransmitters
- biochemistryAny substance, such as acetylcholine or dopamine, responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons.
Anyway, my neurotransmitters are scrambled and they're going to stay scrambled. But I can do okay as long as other people don't know about me.
1993, Octavia Butler, chapter 2, in The Parable of the Sower2 more examples
Together with this is the influence of an infinite number of neurotransmitters, neurohormones, environmental hazards, and accidental programmings.
2016, David R. Hawkins, The Eye of the I: From Which Nothing is Hidden, page 142The class of antidepressants most commonly associated with sexual dysfunction is selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, which treat depression by ultimately increasing levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain.
2024 March 21, Kristen Rogers, “If antidepressants are killing your sex life, here’s what you can do”, in CNN, archived from the original on 15 Apr 2024Synonyms: neuromediator
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny substance, such as acetylcholine or dopamine, responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons.
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Also see
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*(s)neh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*snéh₁wr̥
- Ancient Greekνεῦρον (neûron)
- Ancient Greekνευρο- (neuro-)
- Englishneuro-
- Englishtransmit
- Englishtransmitter
- Englishneurotransmitter
From neuro- + transmitter.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic نَاقِل عَصَبِيّ
- نَاقِل عَصَبِيّ (nāqil ʕaṣabiyy)substance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Bulgarian невротрансмитер
- невротрансмитер (nevrotransmiter)substance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Catalan neurotransmissor
- neurotransmissorsubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Chinese Cantonese 神經傳導物質 /神经传导物质
- 神經傳導物質 /神经传导物质 (san⁴ ging¹ cyun⁴ dou⁶ mat⁶ zat¹)substance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Chinese Mandarin 神經傳導物質 /神经传导物质, 神經遞質 /神经递质
- 神經傳導物質 /神经传导物质 (shénjīng chuándǎo wùzhì)substance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
- 神經遞質 /神经递质 (shénjīng dìzhì)substance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Czech neurotransmiter, neuropřenašeč
- neurotransmitersubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
- neuropřenašečsubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Dutch neurotransmitter
- neurotransmittersubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Esperanto neŭrotransmisiilo, neŭrotransigilo
- neŭrotransmisiilosubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
- neŭrotransigilosubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Finnish aivojen välittäjäaine, hermoston välittäjäaine
- aivojen välittäjäainesubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
- hermoston välittäjäainesubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
- hermovälittäjäainesubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
French neurotransmetteur
- neurotransmetteursubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
German Neurotransmitter
- Neurotransmittersubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Greek νευροδιαβιβαστής
- νευροδιαβιβαστής (nevrodiavivastís)substance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Hungarian neurotranszmitter, ingerületátvivő anyag
- neurotranszmittersubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
- ingerületátvivő anyagsubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Irish néaratharchuradóir
- néaratharchuradóirsubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Japanese 神経伝達物質
- 神経伝達物質 (shinkei dentatsu busshitsu)substance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Korean 신경전달물질
- 신경전달물질 (sin'gyeongjeondalmuljil)substance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Persian انتقالدهنده عصبی
- انتقالدهنده عصبی (enteqâl-dahande 'asabi)substance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Polish mediator, neuromediator
- mediatorsubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
- neuromediatorsubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
- neuroprzekaźniksubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
- neurotransmitersubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Portuguese neurotransmissor
- neurotransmissorsubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Russian нейромедиа́тор, нейротрансми́ттер
- нейромедиа́тор (nejromediátor)substance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
- нейротрансми́ттер (nejrotransmíttɛr)substance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Spanish neurotransmisor
- neurotransmisorsubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Swedish signalsubstans
- signalsubstanssubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Thai สารส่งผ่านประสาท
- สารส่งผ่านประสาทsubstance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Ukrainian нейротрансмі́тер
- нейротрансмі́тер (nejrotransmíter)substance responsible for sending nerve signals across a synapse between two neurons
Cite this entry
APA
neurotransmitter. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neurotransmitter
MLA
“neurotransmitter.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neurotransmitter. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “neurotransmitter,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neurotransmitter.
Source: neurotransmitter on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.