: a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality or condition
2
: a set of concurrent things (such as emotions or actions) that usually form an identifiable pattern
Did you know?
Combining its two Greek roots, syndrome means basically "running together". So when diagnosing a condition or disease, doctors tend to look for a group of symptoms existing together. As long as a set of symptoms remains mysterious, it may be referred to as a specific syndrome. But if that name is used for a while, it may become the condition's permanent name, even after an underlying cause has been found. So today we have Down syndrome, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, Asperger's syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, Tourette's syndrome, sick building syndrome, and many more. And since mental conditions often turn out to have physical causes, syndrome is used in psychology as well as in medicine.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebWhite-nose syndrome has caused some bat populations in Connecticut to decline by over 90 percent. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 Sep. 2022 Lewis Capaldi has shared the news of his Tourette syndrome diagnosis, a neurological disorder that causes involuntary and repetitive movements and sounds. Thania Garcia, Variety, 8 Sep. 2022 Males are three to fours times more likely to develop Tourette syndrome. Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2022 Imposter syndrome and second-guessing yourself at work is all too common as a woman, and often even more so as a woman of colour. Alicia Vrajlal, refinery29.com, 6 Sep. 2022 Katherine Heigl is feeling the beginnings of empty nest syndrome in the midst of back-to-school season. Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 6 Sep. 2022 After the event, medical therapy (aspirin, beta blockers and a statin at a minimum, on top of lifestyle modification) can drastically reduce the risk of another acute coronary syndrome. Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 31 Aug. 2022 But the emergence of a Trump-prosecution syndrome is also something to guard against. David Rohde, The New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2022 The girl has autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette syndrome and other disabilities, according to the lawsuit. Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, 25 Aug. 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Greek syndromē combination, syndrome, from syn- + dramein to run — more at dromedary
First Known Use
1541, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing syndrome
acquired immune deficiency syndrome
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
adult respiratory distress syndrome
bashful bladder syndrome
androgen insensitivity syndrome
carpal tunnel syndrome
battered child syndrome
chronic fatigue syndrome
Chinese restaurant syndrome
cytokine release syndrome
Down syndrome
empty-nest syndrome
fragile X syndrome
Guillain-Barré syndrome
insulin resistance syndrome
irritable bowel syndrome
Klinefelter's syndrome
Marfan syndrome
multisystem inflammatory syndrome
Munchausen syndrome
metabolic syndrome
multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children
nephrotic syndrome
organic brain syndrome
pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome
polycystic ovary syndrome
post-COVID-19 syndrome
post-acute COVID-19 syndrome
post-acute COVID syndrome
post-COVID syndrome
premenstrual syndrome
Reiter's syndrome
Prader-Willi syndrome
punch-drunk syndrome
refeeding syndrome
respiratory distress syndrome
savant syndrome
severe acute respiratory syndrome
shy bladder syndrome
sick building syndrome
Stockholm syndrome
sudden infant death syndrome
thoracic outlet syndrome
toxic shock syndrome
Williams syndrome
white coat syndrome
hemolytic uremic syndrome
Asperger's syndrome
complex regional pain syndrome
acute respiratory distress syndrome
impostor syndrome
Gulf War syndrome
battered woman syndrome
Cushing's syndrome
cytokine storm syndrome
postpolio syndrome
Munchausen's syndrome by proxy
Asperger syndrome
Reye's syndrome
restless legs syndrome
Kawasaki syndrome
Down's syndrome
mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome
Turner's syndrome
fetal alcohol syndrome
imposter syndrome
Tourette's syndrome
testicular feminization syndrome
Parkinson's syndrome
Tourette syndrome
Munchausen syndrome by proxy
Marfan's syndrome
Munchausen's syndrome
Kawasaki's syndrome
Ménière's syndrome
See More
acquired immune deficiency syndrome
acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
adult respiratory distress syndrome
bashful bladder syndrome
androgen insensitivity syndrome
carpal tunnel syndrome
battered child syndrome
chronic fatigue syndrome
Chinese restaurant syndrome
cytokine release syndrome
Down syndrome
empty-nest syndrome
fragile X syndrome
Guillain-Barré syndrome
insulin resistance syndrome
irritable bowel syndrome
Klinefelter's syndrome
Marfan syndrome
multisystem inflammatory syndrome
Munchausen syndrome
metabolic syndrome
multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children
nephrotic syndrome
organic brain syndrome
pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome
polycystic ovary syndrome
post-COVID-19 syndrome
post-acute COVID-19 syndrome
post-acute COVID syndrome
post-COVID syndrome
premenstrual syndrome
Reiter's syndrome
Prader-Willi syndrome
punch-drunk syndrome
refeeding syndrome
respiratory distress syndrome
savant syndrome
severe acute respiratory syndrome
shy bladder syndrome
sick building syndrome
Stockholm syndrome
sudden infant death syndrome
thoracic outlet syndrome
toxic shock syndrome
Williams syndrome
white coat syndrome
hemolytic uremic syndrome
Asperger's syndrome
complex regional pain syndrome
acute respiratory distress syndrome
impostor syndrome
Gulf War syndrome
battered woman syndrome
Cushing's syndrome
cytokine storm syndrome
postpolio syndrome
Munchausen's syndrome by proxy
Asperger syndrome
Reye's syndrome
restless legs syndrome
Kawasaki syndrome
Down's syndrome
mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome
Turner's syndrome
fetal alcohol syndrome
imposter syndrome
Tourette's syndrome
testicular feminization syndrome
Parkinson's syndrome
Tourette syndrome
Munchausen syndrome by proxy
Marfan's syndrome
Munchausen's syndrome
Kawasaki's syndrome
Ménière's syndrome
See More
Medical Definition
syndrome
noun
syn·drome
ˈsin-ˌdrōm also -drəm
: a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality
syndromes
noun
plural of syndrome
as in patterns
a set of things that occur concurrently and have identifiable repeated characteristics suffered from a rare syndromepsychological syndromes