symptomatic
Americanadjective
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pertaining to a symptom or symptoms.
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of the nature of or constituting a symptom indicative (often followed byof ).
a condition symptomatic of cholera;
a disagreement that was symptomatic of the deterioration in their relationship.
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according to symptoms.
a symptomatic classification of disease.
adjective
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(often foll by of) being a symptom; indicative
symptomatic of insanity
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of or relating to a symptom or symptoms
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according to symptoms
a symptomatic analysis of a case
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of symptomatic
First recorded in 1690–1700; from Medieval Latin symptōmaticus, equivalent to Late Latin symptōmat- (stem of symptōma ) + -icus; see origin at symptom, -ic
Explanation
Anything symptomatic relates to the symptoms of a disease. If you're symptomatic, you might be sick. A symptom is a sign of a disease or illness. Symptoms of a cold include a stuffed nose and cough. So if you have a cough, you're symptomatic. Being symptomatic means you're showing symptoms of something. Sometimes you can be symptomatic and not have an illness: the doctor might not be sure why you're having headaches, for example.
Vocabulary lists containing symptomatic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The current Hanta variant doesn’t spread easily, and requires prolonged close contact with a symptomatic person.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
With the Andes virus, by contrast, people probably need to be symptomatic to spread illness.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson said none of the passengers were symptomatic, but they will be monitored closely "as part of a precautionary isolation period".
From BBC • May 11, 2026
Even that anxiety over the conditions of the experiment could be symptomatic of my own DFK-ness, given that DFKs “worry … that what feels big and messy and overwhelming is wrong” and are thus shame-prone.
From Slate • May 10, 2026
What had happened to Hurd, what had happened to Hammond, seemed symptomatic of a larger problem.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
