symptom

American  

[simp-tuhm] / ˈsɪmp təm /

noun

1. any phenomenon or circumstance accompanying something and serving as evidence of it.

2. a sign or indication of something.

   Synonyms:

   mark, token, signal

3. Pathology. a phenomenon that arises from and accompanies a particular disease or disorder and serves as an indication of it.

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symptom British  

/ ˈsɪmptəm /

noun

1. med any sensation or change in bodily function experienced by a patient that is associated with a particular disease Compare sign

2. any phenomenon or circumstance accompanying something and regarded as evidence of its existence; indication

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symptom Scientific  

/ sĭm′təm /

1. A subjective indication of a disorder or disease, such as pain, nausea or weakness. Symptoms may be accompanied by objective signs of disease such as abnormal laboratory test results or findings during a physical examination.

2. Compare sign

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Other Word Forms

• presymptom noun
• symptomless adjective

Etymology

Origin of symptom

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin symptōma < Greek sýmptōma occurrence, that which falls together with something, equivalent to sym- sym- + ptō- (variant stem of píptein to fall) + -ma noun suffix of result

Example Sentences

While he used to worry about anxiety or depression, he said those symptoms are gone.

From The Wall Street Journal

"I don't think it's a helpful term, there isn't a particularly unusual set of symptoms, there's no indication of it being associated with exceptional severity, exceptionally rapid spread or exceptional health impact," says Prof Fraser.

From BBC

Over the past year, her symptoms worsened, and signs of liver failure began to appear.

From Science Daily

The rise in credit card debt is a symptom of broader economic strains.

From Barron's

No one likes those organ recitals about doctors missing critical signs and symptoms because they didn’t dig deep enough.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• manifestation
• syndrome