A cluster of symptoms that go together and define a mental disorder is called a:

1

: 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 Web Her proportions are a result of Weaver syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes bone overgrowth. Aj Willingham, CNN, 10 Nov. 2022 The horse is named for Cody Dorman, a Kentucky teenager with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2022 Flat head syndrome, also known as positional plagiocephaly, can arise when a baby sleeps with its head on the same side during the first few months of life. Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 4 Nov. 2022 Mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol use include acute intoxication, harmful use, dependence syndrome, withdrawal and psychotic disorders. Talal Ansari, WSJ, 4 Nov. 2022 Neither star has appeared to publicly comment on the photo, nor has Justin Bieber, who recently made headlines after canceling his tour due to Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that left one side of his face paralyzed. CBS News, 17 Oct. 2022 The Bagdasarians -- Solon residents since 1997 -- have two adult children with Fragile X syndrome, a genetic condition that causes a range of developmental issues, including learning disabilities and cognitive impairment. Ed Wittenberg, cleveland, 17 Oct. 2022 The Stanford researchers grew some of their organoids from cells taken from patients with Timothy syndrome, a severe genetic disease that often causes the same kind of neurodevelopmental delays seen in autism. Emily Mullin, WIRED, 12 Oct. 2022 The tour, which was originally scheduled to launch in 2020, has been postponed or delayed several times already, most recently due to his bout with Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a rare virus that in his case caused facial paralysis. Jem Aswad, Variety, 6 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'syndrome.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

Time Traveler

The first known use of syndrome was in 1541

Dictionary Entries Near syndrome

Cite this Entry

“Syndrome.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/syndrome. Accessed 5 Dec. 2022.

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Last Updated: 25 Nov 2022 - Updated example sentences

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