vital signs

American  

plural noun

1. essential body functions, comprising pulse rate, body temperature, and respiration, used as a measure of health or physical condition.

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vital signs British  

plural noun

1. med indications that a person is still alive. Vital signs include a heartbeat, a pulse that can be felt, breathing, and body temperature

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vital signs Scientific  

1. The pulse rate, temperature, respiratory rate, and usually blood pressure of an individual.

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vital signs Cultural  

1. The pulse rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and rate of respiration of a person. The vital signs are usually measured to obtain a quick evaluation of the person's general physical condition.

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Etymology

Origin of vital signs

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

The head of the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service, compared it to a patient whose vital signs were in decline.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

Condition red isn’t flashing for the U.S. job market, but its vital signs have deteriorated ahead of a pivotal vote by the Federal Reserve on whether to reduce interest rates again.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 4, 2025

Beyond these behavioral improvements, the compound proved non-toxic in both hippocampal cell cultures and the animals themselves, whose vital signs were closely followed throughout the experiments.

From Science Daily • Nov. 19, 2025

Different eras have deemed it a measure of divine anger or human sin, and more recently, as one of earth’s vital signs.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2025

The injured man tried to thank them, but a nurse told them to move so she could take the man’s vital signs and check his wounds.

From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers