symptom

[ simp-tuhm ]

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.

symptom

/ 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

symptom

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈsymptomless, adjective

Other Words From

• pre·symptom noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of symptom¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of symptom¹

C16: from Late Latin symptōma, from Greek sumptōma chance, from sumpiptein to occur, from syn- + piptein to fall

Example Sentences

Generally people were asked to stay home until they had more severe symptoms.

From Vox

The team looked at Google Trends data for searches on a range of symptoms that dated from January 20 to April 20 of 2020.

From Popular-Science

LeBlanc, who has asthma, believes the symptoms she experienced while sick with the coronavirus were made worse by decades of breathing in toxic air pollution.

From ProPublica

The company said Wednesday that the vaccine trials had also been paused once before, earlier in the summer, after one of the trial volunteers developed neurological symptoms.

From Fortune

A similar reaction, called Guillain-Barré syndrome, was associated with the 1976 flu vaccine, where one out of 100,000 people had an elevated risk of experiencing symptoms like muscle weakness or paralysis.

From Science News

“Mistletoe infections can be a symptom of larger problems,” notes Shaw.

From The Daily Beast

Within days of the first symptom, a headache, the patient was fighting for his life.

From The Daily Beast

Hannigan thinks that pretending to be a basketball player was a symptom of a larger confidence issue.

From The Daily Beast

But there is no evidence Duncan had a fever, a symptom of the Ebola virus, when he entered the country.

From The Daily Beast

As has been well documented, the first symptom of an Ebola infection is a fever.

From The Daily Beast

As a rule, however, persistent glycosuria is diagnostic of diabetes mellitus, of which disease it is the essential symptom.

From Project Gutenberg

In diabetes its presence is a grave symptom and often forewarns of approaching coma.

From Project Gutenberg

I've had a good deal of experience with bridegrooms; believe me, it's the general symptom.

From Project Gutenberg

Chyluria occurs most frequently as a symptom of infection by Filaria sanguinis hominis.

From Project Gutenberg

The horses pricked up their ears, snuffed the night air wildly, and showed every symptom of being ill at ease.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• manifestation
• syndrome