syndrome
noun
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.
Examples of syndrome in a Sentence
Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 31 May 2025
White-nose syndrome poses a threat not just to bats, but to whole ecosystems.
—Lillian Ali, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 May 2025
Her difficult second album syndrome is apparent when the game’s greats are in town.
—Tim Ellis, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
There are also diseases, such as Susac syndrome, vasculitis, Behcet’s disease and sarcoidosis, that cause inflammation in the brain and in the eye, Wong says.
—Elizabeth Yuko, Flow Space, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for syndrome
Cite this Entry
“Syndrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/syndrome. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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syndrome
noun
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