asymptomatic

adjective

asymp·​tom·​at·​ic ˌā-ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈma-tik 

: not causing, marked by, or presenting with signs or symptoms of infection, illness, or disease

asymptomatic carriers of contagious disease

Acute infection is usually asymptomatic, making early diagnosis difficult.

—Francis V. Chisari

Because gonorrhea is often asymptomatic in women, it can progress painlessly until the result is pelvic inflammatory disease with its sequelae of infertility or ectopic pregnancy.

—Marsha F. Goldsmith

Most patients with gallstones remain asymptomatic for many years and may, in fact, never develop symptoms.

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

Many of the fecal samples positive for Giardia were from asymptomatic pets.

—Lawrence M. Fox

asymptomatically

ˌā-ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈma-ti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

asymptomatically infected children

The virus may be carried asymptomatically.

Examples of asymptomatic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

If a dog is asymptomatic, some veterinarians choose not to treat, others do. —Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 10 Aug. 2025

Salas has been asymptomatic for about a month, said A.J. Preller, the Padres president of baseball operations. —Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Aug. 2025

Some people may ask, well, what’s the harm of trying the cleanse in someone who is asymptomatic? —Faye Chiu, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025

Most severe cases occur in people with underlying health problems; mild or asymptomatic cases are likely underreported, as healthy individuals may experience few or no symptoms. —Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for asymptomatic

• adiabatic
• aristocratic
• axiomatic
• diagrammatic
• diaphragmatic
• electrostatic
• endolymphatic
• epigrammatic
• homeostatic
• idiomatic
• magnetostatic
• melodramatic

Kids Definition

asymptomatic

adjective

asymp·​tom·​at·​ic ˌā-ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈmat-ik 

: presenting no signs of disease

Medical Definition

asymptomatic

adjective

asymp·​tom·​at·​ic ˌā-ˌsim(p)-tə-ˈmat-ik 

: not causing, marked by, or presenting with signs or symptoms of infection, illness, or disease

asymptomatic carriers of contagious disease

Decisions regarding the discontinuation of anticoagulation in such patients remain clinically challenging, requiring physicians to weigh the risk of bleeding against the risk of a stroke from asymptomatic arrhythmia.

—Rodney H. Falk, The New England Journal of Medicine

Acute infection is usually asymptomatic, making early diagnosis difficult.

—Francis V. Chisari, Nature

However, 10% to 25% of patients with Barrett's esophagus are completely asymptomatic.

—Scientific American Medicine Bulletin

Red blood cell transfusions for chronic stable anemia in the asymptomatic patient are not clinically beneficial and will unnecessarily increase the patient's risk for infection, immunization to blood antigens, or hemosiderosis.

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

asymptomatically

-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

asymptomatically infected adults