symptomatic

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌsɪmp.təˈmæt.ɪk/ See IPA manual

Freq #38680

Meanings

1

adj
Being a sign of a wider, usually bad, situation or problem.

The long delays are symptomatic of deeper problems in the company.
2

adj
Showing the signs of a particular illness.

Only symptomatic patients were tested for the virus.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · showing the signs of a... diagnostic

Word family

Derived forms asymptomaticmonosymptomaticmultisymptomaticneurosymptomaticnonsymptomaticoligosymptomaticpaucisymptomaticpolysymptomaticpre-symptomaticpresymptomaticsymblematicsymptomatically

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

symptomatic treatment
treatment aimed at relieving symptoms rather than directly removing their cause

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Borrowed from French symptomatique, from New Latin symptomaticus, from Ancient Greek συμπτωματικός (sumptōmatikós, “of or pertaining to a chance (or a symptom), casual”), from σύμπτωμα (súmptōma, “a symptom”). By surface analysis, symptom + -atic.

symptomaticus la-new συμπτωματικός Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# symptomatic

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌsɪmp.təˈmæt.ɪk/
**Frequency rank:** 38680

## Meanings
1. Being a sign of a wider, usually bad, situation or problem.
2. Showing the signs of a particular illness.

## Examples
- The long delays are symptomatic of deeper problems in the company.
- Only symptomatic patients were tested for the virus.

## Derived Forms
- asymptomatic
- monosymptomatic
- multisymptomatic
- neurosymptomatic
- nonsymptomatic
- oligosymptomatic
- paucisymptomatic
- polysymptomatic
- pre-symptomatic
- presymptomatic
- symblematic
- symptomatically

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: symptomaticus
- Root: συμπτωματικός

## Etymology
Borrowed from French symptomatique, from New Latin symptomaticus, from Ancient Greek συμπτωματικός (sumptōmatikós, “of or pertaining to a chance (or a symptom), casual”), from σύμπτωμα (súmptōma, “a symptom”). By surface analysis, symptom + -atic.

## AI Etymology
Symptomatic is borrowed from French symptomatique, from New Latin symptomaticus, from Ancient Greek συμπτωματικός (sumptōmatikós, “of or pertaining to a chance (or a symptom), casual”), from σύμπτωμα (súmptōma, “a symptom”). By surface analysis, symptom + -atic. In present-day use, it can mean being a sign of a wider, usually bad, situation or problem, or showing the signs of a particular illness. Derived formations include asymptomatic, monosymptomatic, multisymptomatic, neurosymptomatic, and nonsymptomatic.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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