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” ( -drome ) + -ē feminine noun suffix

Example Sentences

The 31-year-old pop superstar has been battling Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare neurological condition that partially paralyzed his face, which forced him to cancel the final leg of a world tour last year.

From Barron's

The most widely known outcome of widespread satellite collisions is Kessler syndrome.

From Science Daily

Aramayo, from Hull, starred in I Swear, which tells the true story of John Davidson, a teenager living with Tourette's syndrome.

From BBC

"I Swear" -- based on a true story about a Scottish man whose life was irrevocably changed by Tourette's syndrome -- was the most nominated British film, with five nods.

From Barron's

Provincial officials said at the time that the patient group could be suffering from a new disease not previously seen in Canada and began using the term "possible neurological syndrome of unknown cause."

From Barron's

Related Words

• ailment
• disorder
• malady
• problem
• sickness