asymptomatic

adjective

asymp·​tom·​at·​ic ˌā-ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈma-tik 

: not causing, marked by, or presenting with signs or symptoms of infection, illness, or disease

asymptomatic carriers of contagious disease

Acute infection is usually asymptomatic, making early diagnosis difficult.

—Francis V. Chisari

Because gonorrhea is often asymptomatic in women, it can progress painlessly until the result is pelvic inflammatory disease with its sequelae of infertility or ectopic pregnancy.

—Marsha F. Goldsmith

Most patients with gallstones remain asymptomatic for many years and may, in fact, never develop symptoms.

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

Many of the fecal samples positive for Giardia were from asymptomatic pets.

—Lawrence M. Fox

asymptomatically

ˌā-ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

asymptomatically infected children

The virus may be carried asymptomatically.

Examples of asymptomatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Similarly, research from the Japanese Breast Cancer Society suggests that only 20 percent of breast cancer cases being detected by screening are asymptomatic and would have gone unnoticed otherwise. —Sofia Quaglia, Discover Magazine, 31 Oct. 2023

The first day of isolation is defined as either the day after symptoms start, or the day after a positive test result if someone is asymptomatic. —Jamie Ducharme, Time, 11 Oct. 2023

However, there are only a few small studies testing the accuracy of this approach in asymptomatic patients who don’t have a genetic predisposition for cancer, and their results don’t show a conclusive benefit to patients. —Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 18 Aug. 2023

Peptic ulcer disease, a wearing away of the stomach lining, can be asymptomatic in some cases, but others are severe enough to make a patient double over in pain, two doctors told NBC News. —David K. Li, NBC News, 7 Sep. 2023

Traditionally, wild birds have been known to carry low-pathogenicity avian influenza, which is typically asymptomatic, whereas highly pathogenic avian influenza is usually found in poultry. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 29 Aug. 2023

The traveler in Virginia was asymptomatic, according to the metadata submitted by the CDC's contractors. —Alexander Tin, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2023

Among the asymptomatic participants, 20 percent carried a common HLA variant called HLA-B*15:01. —Aara'l Yarber, Anchorage Daily News, 19 July 2023

Still, vaccinated people who test positive will likely be asymptomatic or experience a far milder illness than if they were not vaccinated. —Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 2 Aug. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

asymptomatic

adjective

asymp·​tom·​at·​ic ˌā-ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈmat-ik 

: presenting no signs of disease

Medical Definition

asymptomatic

adjective

asymp·​tom·​at·​ic ˌā-ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈmat-ik 

: not causing, marked by, or presenting with signs or symptoms of infection, illness, or disease

asymptomatic carriers of contagious disease

Decisions regarding the discontinuation of anticoagulation in such patients remain clinically challenging, requiring physicians to weigh the risk of bleeding against the risk of a stroke from asymptomatic arrhythmia.

—Rodney H. Falk, The New England Journal of Medicine

Acute infection is usually asymptomatic, making early diagnosis difficult.

—Francis V. Chisari, Nature

However, 10% to 25% of patients with Barrett's esophagus are completely asymptomatic.

—Scientific American Medicine Bulletin

Red blood cell transfusions for chronic stable anemia in the asymptomatic patient are not clinically beneficial and will unnecessarily increase the patient's risk for infection, immunization to blood antigens, or hemosiderosis.

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

asymptomatically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

asymptomatically infected adults