# Semantics: Can a physical occurrence be neither sign nor symptom? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 18, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499 "2025-05-18T13:31:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/1 "2025-05-18T13:31:27Z")
I’ve always wondered about the distinction between a symptom - of something, obviously - and a simple condition or occurrence. Or is everything that is not standard considered to be a sign of _something_, or a symptom of _something_? Is there a term for a simple deviation that doesn’t portend or signify an anomaly? (I can barely articulate my question, so if mods want to just throw it in the garbage, I’ll understand.) ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2025, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/2 "2025-05-18T15:18:56Z")
By definition, a symptom is a subjective experience or manifestation of a disease or condition that is reported by the patient and is an indication of an underlying health problem. Clearly, someone can have a manifestation that doesn’t mean there is an underlying health issue. For example, I can have a severe headache, but that doesn’t mean I am having a stroke. The only term for this that I am aware of is benign symptom, which means not harmful in effect. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2025, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/3 "2025-05-18T19:34:02Z")
And a sign is something observed in the patient by others. You could have an illness with neither sign nor symptom. Pancreatic cancer is notoriously bad because it is often exactly this. There’s nothing to notice, until it has advanced so far a cure is unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2025, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/4 "2025-05-18T22:12:22Z")
If you perceive an off-nominal or unusual feeling, that is a “symptom”. It may be a symtom of a brain tumor, or a migraine, or a bump on the head, or just being tired, but if you observe it as different, that is called a “symptom”. The thing you feel that you want to explain. If it isn’t bothering you or hurting or affecting your ability, then what is it doing that you notice? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2025, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/5 "2025-05-18T22:22:43Z")
I’m struggling to understand what you’re really asking. I **think** maybe you’re trying to make a distinction about the possible relationships between two events. In increasing order of strength, two events can have no relationship (just coincidence), they may be correlated but with no evidence for causation, or there may be good evidence for a causative relationship. That applies to discerning the origins of medical symptoms, but also applies to everything else in the universe. But I may have misunderstood your question. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/6 "2025-05-19T00:50:57Z")
Apologies for being so abstruse. I would like to know what to call an anomaly if it is not indicative of some illness or disease or problem. A sign is still a sign of _something_. A symptom is still a symptom of _something_. What is a condition that is not such a thing? ---
**Author:** ![UDS1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47774/32.png) [@UDS1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS1)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/7 "2025-05-19T02:49:13Z")
A consequence? An effect? A manifestation? An indication? E.g. sweating or being flushed, for example, might be a consequence, effect, manifestation or indication of recent exertion. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/8 "2025-05-19T04:44:15Z")
A variation? Benign…something? I know there’s an official term for it, I just can’t recall it. I recall reading about it in an article about a girl who had a rare genetic abnormality that let her individually control her vocal chords, and so could pull off tricks like singing in harmony with herself. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/9 "2025-05-19T05:00:33Z")
Preclinical. Latent. Dormant. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/10 "2025-05-19T17:43:44Z")
I fixed the spelling of the title. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/11 "2025-05-19T20:39:41Z")
That bothered me. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/12 "2025-05-19T21:02:45Z")
> [@CC](#): > > I would like to know what to call an anomaly if it is not indicative of some illness or disease or problem. I have an essential tremor. It runs in my family. There’s no particular cause, it doesn’t lead to anything else, our hands just tremble - sometimes badly enough to impair function - but there’s no pain or anything else connected to it. It’s not a sign, a symptom, a disease, or even a syndrome. The medical references generally use the term, “neurological condition.” To paraphrase Freud, sometimes a condition is just a condition. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/13 "2025-05-19T21:06:25Z")
Benign. Benign is the word you want. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/14 "2025-05-19T23:51:29Z")
Me too. I kept thinking I was crazy. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/15 "2025-05-19T23:57:43Z")
Is the OP asking for a noun or an adjective? If a noun, then “condition” meets the case perfectly. If an adjective, then, sure, “benign”. Or we can combine both words and call it a “benign condition”. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2025, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/16 "2025-05-19T23:59:31Z")
I didn’t even know that was the word they were trying to spell. I’m still not sure it’s actually relevant, but at least it’s a real word. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/17 "2025-05-20T00:17:37Z")
What had I misspelled? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2025, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/18 "2025-05-20T00:20:36Z")
Semantics. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2025, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/19 "2025-05-23T13:45:27Z")
> **[Definition of SEMANTICS](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semantics)** > > the study of meanings:; the historical and psychological study and the classification of changes in the signification of words or forms viewed as factors in linguistic development; semiotics… See the full definition ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499/20 "2025-05-27T17:08:18Z")
Curious as to how I could have misspelled such a basic word. I claim an unnoticed typo. What did it originally say? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/semantics-can-a-physical-occurrence-be-neither-sign-nor-symptom/1018499.md?page=2)