symptom

Etymology

From Ancient Greek σύμπτωμα (súmptōma, “a happening, accident, symptom of disease”), from stem of συμπίπτω (sumpíptō, “Ι befall”), from συν- (sun-, “together”) + πίπτω (píptō, “I fall”).

noun

1. (medicine) A perceived change in some function, sensation or appearance of a person that indicates a disease or disorder, such as fever, headache or rash; strictly, a symptom is felt or experienced by the patient, while a sign can be detected by an observer.
   Swollen breasts, morning sickness, and a missed period are classic symptoms of pregnancy.
2. (figurative) A signal; anything that indicates, or is characteristic of, the presence of something else, especially of something undesirable.
   Lying, hiding one's true feelings, and having affairs are typical symptoms of a doomed marriage.
   Some people see birth outside of marriage as a social problem—a sign of a breakdown in the traditional family and a symptom of moral decay. 2009, Charles Zastrow, Introduction to Social Work and Social Welfare