Definition of symptom

The word "symptom" originated from the Greek language during the 16th century. The Greek word "symptōma" is a combination of two roots – "syn" meaning "with" or "together" and "ptōma" meaning "falling" or "loss." In ancient Greek, "symptōma" originally referred to the "falling together" or "occurrence" of signs or phenomena that signal something significant or meaningful. It wasn't until later, during the Renaissance, that the term began to be used in the context of medicine to describe physical or mental indications of a disease or illness. The first recorded use of "symptom" in English appeared in a medical treatise by the Renaissance physician, Thomas Sydenham, in the 17th century. He used the term to mean "a sign or indication of disease," and popularized its use in the English medical lexicon. Since then, the meaning and usage of the word "symptom" have evolved in the context of medicine and health. Today, it is commonly defined as any objective or subjective indicator that suggests the presence of a particular health condition or disease, and in combination with other symptoms and medical findings, helps physicians make a diagnosis.