syndrome

American  

[sin-drohm, -druhm] / ˈsɪn droʊm, -drəm /

noun

1. Pathology, Psychiatry. a group of symptoms that together are characteristic of a specific disorder, disease, or the like.

2. a group of related or coincident things, events, actions, etc.

3. the pattern of symptoms that characterize or indicate a particular social condition.

4. a predictable, characteristic pattern of behavior, action, etc., that tends to occur under certain circumstances.

   the retirement syndrome of endless golf and bridge games; the feast-or-famine syndrome of big business.

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syndrome British  

/ sɪnˈdrɒmɪk, ˈsɪndrəʊm /

noun

1. med any combination of signs and symptoms that are indicative of a particular disease or disorder

2. a symptom, characteristic, or set of symptoms or characteristics indicating the existence of a condition, problem, etc

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syndrome Scientific  

/ sĭn′drōm′ /

1. An abnormal condition or disease that is identified by an established group of signs and symptoms.

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syndrome Cultural  

1. A set of signs and symptoms that appear together and characterize a disease or medical condition. AIDS is an example of a syndrome.

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Discover More

A collection of attitudes or behaviors that go together is often called a syndrome.

Other Word Forms

• syndromic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of syndrome

1535–45; < New Latin < Greek syndromḗ concurrence, combination, equivalent to syn- syn- + drom-, base meaning “run” ( see -drome) + -ē feminine noun suffix

Explanation

When you and your friends hang out together, you call it a party. When symptoms of an illness hang out together, they call it a syndrome. If you receive an invitation, politely decline. Syndrome comes from a Greek word that combines the root “to run” (dramein) with the prefix “together” (sun-). When many or all of the symptoms for a disease “run together,” that's a syndrome. You can also use syndrome in a figurative way to describe a type or pattern of behavior. If you have the “I'll do it tomorrow” syndrome, you put off doing a lot of things. At least you got around to reading about syndrome today.

Example Sentences

Dion has said she was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, an incurable autoimmune disorder, and she was forced to cancel her last tour dates due to both the Covid pandemic and ill health.

From Barron's • Apr. 10, 2026

Too little MeCP2 leads to Rett syndrome, while excessive amounts cause another neurological disorder known as MECP2 Duplication Syndrome.

From Science Daily • Mar. 6, 2026

She added that she was running out of medication for a heart condition known as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, with the stress making it worse and causing her to lose consciousness.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

Tourettes Action, an organization and research charity based in the United Kingdom, addressed the negative comments regarding Davidson’s outbursts and called for understanding and education about Tourette Syndrome.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

He does not seem to think he has Alice in Wonderland Syndrome.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

Related Words

• ailment
• disorder
• malady
• problem
• sickness