Symptomatic
Symptomatic can mean showing symptoms, or it may concern a specific symptom. Symptoms may be signs of disease or injury. They are what a person feels.
Many conditions and diseases have symptoms. A cough can be symptomatic of an upper respiratory infection.
When a person has some symptoms associated with a disease or condition, they are considered symptomatic. When a disease exists without noticeable symptoms, the person is asymptomatic.
Certain symptoms can usually be linked to certain conditions and diseases. For instance, a cough is a reaction to an infection in the upper respiratory system.
References
Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis Company; 2021.
Version Info
Last reviewed on: 1/1/2025
Reviewed by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
