syndrome
Meaning
A group of symptoms which consistently occur together, or a condition characterized by a set of associated symptoms.
A characteristic combination of opinions, emotions, or behavior.
Structure
Usage
Down syndrome is a genetic condition.
The sudden popularity of the product created a buying syndrome among consumers.
She experienced a full syndrome of flu symptoms including fever and body aches.
Etymology
The word syndrome entered English in the mid-16th century via Latin from the Greek syndromē, a combination of syn- (together) and dromos (a running, course). The literal Greek sense was "a concurrence of symptoms, a running together." This medical metaphor conceptualizes separate symptoms as converging or running together to form a recognizable pattern. Over time, the term's usage broadened beyond medicine to describe any set of concurrent events, feelings, or actions that form an identifiable pattern.
Analysis
syn is a prefix from Greek, meaning "together, with." drome is from Greek dromos, meaning "a running, course, racecourse."