symptomatic
adjective
symp·tom·at·ic
ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈma-tik 
1
a
: being a symptom of a disease
b
: having the characteristics of a particular disease but arising from another cause
symptomatic epilepsy resulting from brain damage
2
: concerned with, affecting, or having symptoms
symptomatic treatment
a symptomatic patient
3
: characteristic, indicative
his behavior was symptomatic of his character
Examples of symptomatic in a Sentence
a fever's refusal to respond to antibiotics is symptomatic of a viral infection
Recent Examples on the Web
The plans also included bringing in bio containment units and isolation units if individuals became symptomatic and until they were transported to a tertiary facility.
—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 29 May 2026
The lack of lab capacity means symptomatic patients suspected of having the virus can wait for days for test results, increasing the risk of them leaving isolation prematurely, Kojan said.
—Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 28 May 2026
Quantile aggregation recently was used in a secondary analysis that evaluated post-treatment amyloid and clinical outcomes in people who received placebo or Kisunla for early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 21 May 2026
At the same time, authorities keep insisting that only symptomatic people can spread the virus.
—Zeynep Tufekci, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for symptomatic
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Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 29 May 2026
The lack of lab capacity means symptomatic patients suspected of having the virus can wait for days for test results, increasing the risk of them leaving isolation prematurely, Kojan said.
—Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 28 May 2026
Quantile aggregation recently was used in a secondary analysis that evaluated post-treatment amyloid and clinical outcomes in people who received placebo or Kisunla for early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease.
—Ed Silverman, STAT, 21 May 2026
At the same time, authorities keep insisting that only symptomatic people can spread the virus.
—Zeynep Tufekci, Mercury News, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for symptomatic
Cite this Entry
“Symptomatic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/symptomatic. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
symptomatic
adjective
symp·tom·at·ic
ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈmat-ik
1
a
: being a symptom (as of disease)
an itchy skin rash is symptomatic of poison ivy
b
: concerned with, affecting, or having symptoms
a symptomatic patient
2
: showing a quality or identity : characteristic
Medical Definition
symptomatic
adjective
symp·tom·at·ic
ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈmat-ik
1
a
: being a symptom of a disease
gummas symptomatic of syphilis
b
: having the characteristics of a particular disease but arising from another cause
symptomatic epilepsy resulting from brain damage
2
: concerned with or affecting symptoms
symptomatic treatment
3
: having symptoms
a symptomatic patient
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