vital signs

plural noun

1

: signs of life

… frightened even more by the fact that a few months ago you were clinically dead—that's right, dead—all vital signs gone.

—Asa Baber

specifically : the pulse rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and blood pressure of a person

Her vital signs and findings from physical examination were normal, and she was not hospitalized.

—John P. Hanrahan et al.

2

: measurable variables considered to indicate the general state or condition of something

The economy's vital signs are stronger than they have been in years. Companies are posting jobs faster than they can find workers to fill them.

—Ben Casselman

He proposes that living things act as a single, coordinated entity that maintains the earth's temperature and other vital signs within very narrow limits that are to the entity's own benefit.

—Michael Oppenheimer

Note: The singular vital sign is sometimes used for a single sign or measurement.

The box … houses nine removable electronic modules, each of which monitors a specific vital sign, such as temperature, oil pressure, and the rpm of the power turbine and gas producer.

—Jay Coyle

Note: The singular form is also often used before another noun.

vital sign monitors

vital sign data

Examples of vital signs in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

All three were hooked up to machines that provided a readout of their vital signs, and all three were prepared to have a syringe of manufactured blood injected into their veins. —Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025

Researchers found that lavender did not affect the participant's vital signs but did positively affect their sleep quality.19 Another study in postmenopausal women with insomnia found that lavender oil improved sleep patterns and sleep quality.20 10. —Kirstyn Hill, Pharmd, Mph, Health, 3 Feb. 2025

And one of the patient rooms didn’t have a machine to monitor vital signs. —John Carreyrou, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025

Devices addressing issues such as stress, runny noses and back pain, combined with apps monitoring vital signs and sleep, empower employees to manage their health. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

vital signs

plural noun

: the pulse rate, body temperature, number of breaths taken per minute, and often blood pressure of a person

Medical Definition

vital signs

noun plural

: signs of life

specifically : the pulse rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and often blood pressure of a person