presymptomatic

adjective

pre·​symp·​tom·​at·​ic ˌprē-ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈma-tik 

variants or pre-symptomatic

1

: relating to, being, or occurring before symptoms appear

presymptomatic testing

presymptomatic heart disease

pre-symptomatic transmission of a contagious disease

2

: not yet displaying symptoms of an illness or disease

a presymptomatic patient diagnosed with Huntington's disease

viral illness spread by pre-symptomatic individuals

Examples of presymptomatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While that emphasizes the importance of early detection, people with presymptomatic Alzheimer’s can’t take these medications, so there’s only so much someone can do if they’re diagnosed before symptoms show up. —Jamie Ducharme, Health, 8 May 2025

But clearly the authors envision a time when presymptomatic testing will be routine. —Laura Hercher, Scientific American, 1 Aug. 2024

Such testing would have been critical for identifying staff with asymptomatic or presymptomatic infections. —Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2021

Such tests are already being used in identifying candidates for clinical trials testing treatments in patients with early-stage or even presymptomatic disease, such as Eisai and Biogen's Leqembi. —Fox News, 12 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for presymptomatic

• adiabatic
• aristocratic
• asymptomatic
• axiomatic
• diagrammatic
• diaphragmatic
• electrostatic
• endolymphatic
• epigrammatic
• homeostatic
• idiomatic
• magnetostatic

Medical Definition

presymptomatic

adjective

pre·​symp·​to·​mat·​ic -ˌsimp-tə-ˈmat-ik 

variants or pre-symptomatic

1

: relating to, being, or occurring before symptoms appear

presymptomatic testing

presymptomatic heart disease

pre-symptomatic transmission of a contagious disease

2

: not yet displaying symptoms of an illness or disease

a presymptomatic patient diagnosed with Huntington's disease

viral illness spread by pre-symptomatic individuals