symptomatic

/ˈsɪm(p)təˌmædɪk/

Anything symptomatic relates to the symptoms of a disease. If you're symptomatic, you might be sick.

A symptom is a sign of a disease or illness. Symptoms of a cold include a stuffed nose and cough. So if you have a cough, you're symptomatic. Being symptomatic means you're showing symptoms of something. Sometimes you can be symptomatic and not have an illness: the doctor might not be sure why you're having headaches, for example.

Definitions of symptomatic

1. adjective

   relating to or according to or affecting a symptom or symptoms
   “symptomatic relief”

   “symptomatic treatment”

   “a symptomatic classification of diseases”
2. adjective

   characteristic or indicative of a disease
   “a rash symptomatic of scarlet fever”

   “symptomatic of insanity”

   “a rise in crime symptomatic of social breakdown”

   synonyms: diagnostic

   characteristic

   typical or distinctive