Definition of symptom
1a : subjective evidence of disease or physical disturbance; broadly : something that indicates the presence of bodily disorderb : an evident reaction by a plant to a pathogen
2a : something that indicates the existence of something else symptoms of an inner turmoilb : a slight indication : trace
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Recent Examples of symptom from the Web
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Nurses got email alerts when participants reported worsening symptoms.
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The system can be used on patients who are experiencing neurological symptoms and have at least a 50 percent blockage of their carotid artery as verified by an ultrasound or angiogram test.
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Many of them have symptoms that can be relieved by cannabis that is specifically formulated for medical use.
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Huntington’s symptoms are described as having ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases — simultaneously.
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Donald Trump, the vulgarian at their gates, is a symptom, not a cause.
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Now a small study of National Football League players suggests another possibility: that the signs of C.T.E. may be found with a low-cost, noninvasive test that tracks changes in conversational language years before symptoms appear.
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And sales staff passed around intricate spreadsheets, with thousands of rows each, on potential patients, including details such as birthdates and information about symptoms, doctor, and hospital.
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Then the doctor dogs would hold a conference, and whatever the patient's symptoms were -- coughing, lack of pulse, a spear passing all the way through the patient's head -- the doctor dogs would agree that the best course of treatment was: licking.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'symptom'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of symptom
Late Latin symptomat-, symptoma, from Greek symptōmat-, symptōma happening, attribute, symptom, from sympiptein to happen, from syn- + piptein to fall — more at feather
First Known Use: 1541
Synonym Discussion of symptom
SYMPTOM Defined for English Language Learners
symptom
playDefinition of symptom for English Language Learners
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: a change in the body or mind which indicates that a disease is present
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: a change which shows that something bad exists : a sign of something bad
SYMPTOM Defined for Kids
symptom
playDefinition of symptom for Students
1 : a noticeable change in the body or its functions that indicates the presence of a disease or other disorder
2 : indication 2, sign Loss of jobs is a symptom of a weakening economy.
Medical Dictionary
symptom
playMedical Definition of symptom
: subjective evidence of disease or physical disturbance observed by the patient headache is a symptom of many diseases visual disturbances may be a symptom of retinal arteriosclerosis; broadly : something that indicates the presence of a physical disorder—compare sign 2
Learn More about symptom
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Spanish Central: Translation of symptom Nglish: Translation of symptom for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of symptom for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about symptom
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