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
Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 July 2025
She also was diagnosed with an auto-immune condition called Sjogren's syndrome in 2011.
—Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR, 26 July 2025
Parkinson's is a degenerative syndrome that results in the slow loss of brain circuitry involved in movement, thinking, and behavior.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 23 July 2025
Kennedy mentioned diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, seizure disorders, ADHD, speech delay, language delay, tics, Tourette syndrome, narcolepsy, peanut allergies and eczema.
—Patricia Callahan, CNN Money, 18 July 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 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
syndrome
noun
Share