What does "syndrome" mean?

1. (medical condition) a group of medical signs and symptoms that always happen together and show that someone has a specific illness. 2. (pattern of behavior) a set of behaviors or feelings that people often show in a specific situation.

How do you use "syndrome"?

Often used with a specific name, such as 'Irritable Bowel Syndrome' or 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome'. Frequently appears in the structure '[Name] syndrome' to describe a specific social or psychological trend.

syndrome

US //ˈsɪnˌdɹoʊm// UK //sˈɪndɹəʊm// syn·drome

1 medical condition (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

a group of medical signs and symptoms that always happen together and show that someone has a specific illness.

a recognizable pattern of signs and symptoms that characterize a particular disease or medical condition.

Example

Down syndrome is a genetic condition that affects how a person's body and brain develop.

Example

The patient presented with a rare metabolic syndrome that required a multidisciplinary team of specialists to manage effectively.

Usage

Often used with a specific name, such as 'Irritable Bowel Syndrome' or 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome'.

Teacher's tip

While often used interchangeably with 'disease' by learners, a syndrome refers specifically to the collection of symptoms rather than the cause itself.
2 pattern of behavior (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic

a set of behaviors or feelings that people often show in a specific situation.

a predictable set of characteristics or behaviors identifying a certain social or psychological condition, often with a negative connotation.

Example

Many new employees suffer from 'imposter syndrome' where they feel they are not good enough for the job.

Example

The 'tall poppy syndrome' describes a social phenomenon where people are criticized or resented for their high level of success.

Usage

Frequently appears in the structure '[Name] syndrome' to describe a specific social or psychological trend.

Teacher's tip

In non-medical contexts, this word is often used to label a specific social problem or a common psychological struggle.

Origin

Learned borrowing from New Latin syndrome, from Ancient Greek συνδρομή (sundromḗ, “concurrence of symptoms, concourse”), from σύνδρομος (súndromos, “running together”), from συν- (sun-, “with”) + δρόμος (drómos, “running, course”).

Idioms4 entries