Which term means 'a condition'?

• A. symptom
• B. serene
• C. status
• D. symmetric

Answer: (C)

Understanding medical terminology for stating a condition helps distinguish what a patient feels from their overall state. The term that means a condition is status. In clinical notes, status refers to the current state or condition of the patient (for example, their health status or condition at a given time). A symptom, by contrast, is something the patient experiences or reports, indicating a possible problem but not the condition itself. Serene describes calmness, and symmetric describes equality between two sides—neither is used to denote a medical condition. Therefore, status best fits the meaning “a condition.”