What does symptom mean?
A symptom is a physical or mental change that indicates the presence or development of a disease or other condition. Symptoms may include pain, fever, coughing, dizziness, nausea, or anxiety, depending on the illness involved. In medical usage, a symptom is generally something perceived or reported by the affected person, while a sign is something that can be observed or measured objectively. The word is also used figuratively to describe an indication of a wider problem: falling attendance, for example, may be a symptom of declining public interest. Because a symptom reveals that something is wrong without necessarily identifying its cause, the word often suggests the need for further investigation. It is common in both everyday speech and formal medical writing, though medical descriptions may distinguish particular symptoms carefully when making a diagnosis.
nounA physical or mental change that indicates the presence or course of a disease or other condition. By extension, a symptom is a sign that suggests the existence of a problem, difficulty, or underlying cause.
- A physical or mental indication of a disease or other medical condition.
- A sign or evidence that a problem, difficulty, or adverse condition exists.
"A persistent cough may be a symptom of asthma, bronchitis, or another respiratory condition."
"She developed several symptoms of influenza and stayed home to rest."
"Chronic delays are a symptom of the system, not merely a weakness in one office."
Use the plural when referring to several indications of illness, a set of reported changes, or multiple signs of an underlying problem.
"The patient's symptoms improved after a few days of rest."
From a Greek word meaning “to fall together,” a symptom is a change that comes to the surface while its underlying cause lies beneath it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does symptom come from?
The word comes through Latin from Greek σύμπτωμα (sýmptōma), a word for a coincidence or something that happens in conjunction with another event. It was formed from σύμπτειν (sýmpttein), “to fall together,” which combines the prefix syn-, meaning “together,” with the word for “fall.” The medical sense developed because a symptom appears alongside, and therefore indicates, an underlying condition. English borrowed the term in the 17th century, and related forms such as symptomatic developed from the same source.
Related word forms
How symptom is actually used
In medicine, the term distinguishes what a patient experiences from an objectively observable sign. Outside medicine, it is commonly used figuratively for an outward indication of a deeper problem and may imply that the underlying cause has not yet been identified.
Easily confused with symptom
A symptom is generally something the affected person experiences and reports, whereas a sign is something an observer or test can objectively detect.
A symptom indicates the presence of a condition, while a cause is what brings that condition about.