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
Laura Schober, Health, 24 Nov. 2024
One possible complication of E. coli is a type of kidney failure called hemolytic—uremic syndrome, symptoms of which include easy bruising, pallor and decreased urine output.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024
Are these examples of ‘second-season syndrome’ — that trend of players who enjoy a startling debut campaign but cannot replicate it the following year?
—Andy Jones, The Athletic, 21 Nov. 2024
Especially concerning is a relatively new condition recently described in The New York Times, known as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS.
—Dr. Jerrold B. Leikin, The Mercury News, 12 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for syndrome 
Articles Related to syndrome
Dictionary Entries Near syndrome
Cite this Entry
“Syndrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/syndrome. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
syndrome
noun
Share