syndrome

syndrome — noun

1. A group of physical or mental signs that happen together and point to a particul

1.nounB2
Definition

A group of physical or mental signs that happen together and point to a particular health problem or disease.

Example

Ari was diagnosed with a rare syndrome that affects the nerves in his hands.

passive: diagnosed with + [adjective] syndrome

Doctors noticed a syndrome of fever, rash, and joint pain in several patients.

a syndrome of + [symptoms]

Common collocations
  • rare syndrome
  • genetic syndrome
  • chronic syndrome
  • severe syndrome
  • diagnosed with a syndrome
  • syndrome of fever and rash
Synonyms
  • condition

    a broader, less specific term; any state of health, not necessarily a pattern of symptoms

  • disorder

    suggests a disruption of normal function; often used interchangeably but disorder is more general

  • disease

    implies a specific pathological process with a known cause; a syndrome may develop into a named disease

Grammar Patterns

a syndrome + of + [symptoms]

[adjective] + syndrome

Usage Note

Countable noun — always requires an article (a syndrome, the syndrome) or a determiner. Frequently appears in medical writing with an adjective that classifies the type: 'rare syndrome', 'genetic syndrome', 'chronic syndrome'. When listing specific symptoms, use the pattern 'a syndrome of [symptom A], [symptom B], and [symptom C]'.

Common Mistakes

He was diagnosed with syndrome.
He was diagnosed with a syndrome.
Syndrome is countable and needs an article or determiner.
Fever and cough are a disease.
Fever and cough together may form a syndrome.
A syndrome is a set of symptoms that occur together, not necessarily a single disease with a known cause.

2. Used as part of the official label for a specific diagnosed disorder, usually wi

2.nounB2
Definition

Used as part of the official label for a specific diagnosed disorder, usually with a capitalized preceding word or phrase.

Example

Down syndrome is one of the most well-known genetic conditions among parents and doctors.

named syndrome: Down syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome causes stomach pain and bloating after eating certain foods.

named syndrome: irritable bowel syndrome

Common collocations
  • Down syndrome
  • irritable bowel syndrome
  • Tourette syndrome
  • restless legs syndrome
  • chronic fatigue syndrome
  • congenital syndrome

Grammar Patterns

[Proper Name] + syndrome

[Adjective] + [Noun] + syndrome

Usage Note

In this naming pattern, 'syndrome' follows a modifier that identifies the specific illness. The modifier may be a doctor's name (Down syndrome, Tourette syndrome), a description of symptoms (irritable bowel syndrome, restless legs syndrome), or a place name (Havana syndrome). Some names are capitalized, others are not — usage varies and is best checked in a medical reference.

Common Mistakes

He suffers from Down Syndrome.
He suffers from Down syndrome.
In modern usage, 'syndrome' is not capitalized after the proper name.

3. A recognizable collection of negative feelings, thoughts, or actions that people

3.nounB2
Definition

A recognizable collection of negative feelings, thoughts, or actions that people display when facing certain stressful circumstances, often given a descriptive label.

Example

Padma suffers from impostor syndrome and fears her coworkers will discover her lack of skill.

suffer from + impostor syndrome

Stockholm syndrome explains why some kidnapped people develop sympathy for their captors over time.

Stockholm syndrome as subject

Common collocations
  • impostor syndrome
  • Stockholm syndrome
  • burnout syndrome
  • savior syndrome
  • exam syndrome
  • suffer from impostor syndrome
Synonyms
  • pattern

    neutral term for recurring behaviour; less dramatic and metaphorical than 'syndrome'

  • tendency

    suggests a habitual inclination rather than a full set of symptoms or behaviours

  • complex

    used in psychology for a group of related emotions or impulses; more technical

Grammar Patterns

[name] + syndrome

suffer from + [name] + syndrome

Usage Note

This non-medical use of 'syndrome' is very common in everyday and popular-psychology language. Well-known examples include 'impostor syndrome' (feeling like a fraud despite success), 'Stockholm syndrome' (captives bonding with captors), 'burnout syndrome' (emotional exhaustion from overwork), and 'savior syndrome' (compulsively helping others at personal cost). Unlike medical syndromes, these are not formal diagnoses — they are descriptive labels for recognizable patterns of behaviour.

Common Mistakes

I have the impostor syndrome.
I have impostor syndrome.
Article is typically dropped in non-medical syndrome names.
Stockholm Syndrome is a disease.
Stockholm syndrome is a psychological pattern, not a medical disease.
Non-medical syndromes are descriptive labels, not formal diagnoses.

Word family

  • syndromic
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe problems with a person's health, but they differ in specificity and scope. Condition is the broadest term — it can refer to any state of health, from a minor skin rash to a lifelong genetic issue, without implying a known cause. Disorder suggests that normal bodily or mental functions have been disrupted; it is common in psychiatry (anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder) and neurology. Disease is the most specific term, typically reserved for problems with a known pathological cause, such as an infection or cellular damage (tuberculosis, cancer). Syndrome sits between condition and disease: it describes a collection of signs and symptoms that occur together, often before the underlying cause is fully understood. For example, a patient may be diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (a recognizable set of symptoms) but not with a specific disease until a cause is identified. In everyday language, 'condition' is the safest choice for general statements, while 'syndrome' and 'disorder' are more technical.

condition ↗disorder ↗disease ↗illness ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • fatigue syndrome
  • pain syndrome
  • withdrawal syndrome
  • childhood syndrome

Phrases

  • a rare syndrome
  • a common syndrome
  • a genetic syndrome
  • symptoms of the syndrome
  • cause of the syndrome

Prepositions

  • syndrome of
  • diagnosed with syndrome
  • suffer from syndrome
  • born with syndrome

Etymology

GreekLatinEnglish

The word 'syndrome' comes from Greek 'syndromē', meaning 'a running together' or 'a concurrence of symptoms'. It is built from 'syn-' (together) and 'dromos' (a running, a course). The term entered medical Latin in the 16th century and was adopted into English in the early 19th century. Its original sense — things that 'run together' — is still visible in the modern meaning: a set of symptoms that appear together in a patient.