Symptomatic

//ˌsɪmp.təˈmæt.ɪk// adj, noun

adj, noun ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A person exhibiting the symptoms of an illness.
Adjective
  1. 1
    Showing symptoms.

    "It is important to observe symptomatic cats out of the carrier, on the floor in a safe, escape-proof room. Swelling, heat, and pain in one or more joints can explain many signs, including lameness, malaise, and fever."

  2. 2
    Constituting a symptom or indication; characteristic, indicative. broadly

    "The city's problems are symptomatic of the crisis that is spreading throughout the country."

  3. 3
    Of a treatment, that only affects the symptoms of a disease without targeting the underlying cause.
  4. 4
    Relating to symptomatics.
Adjective
  1. 1
    characteristic or indicative of a disease wordnet
  2. 2
    relating to or according to or affecting a symptom or symptoms wordnet

Example

More examples

"When someone is symptomatic, that person has visible signs of being sick."

Etymology

Borrowed from French symptomatique, from New Latin symptomaticus, from Ancient Greek συμπτωματικός (sumptōmatikós, “of or pertaining to a chance (or a symptom), casual”), from σύμπτωμα (súmptōma, “a symptom”). By surface analysis, symptom + -atic.

Related phrases

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.