symp ‧ to ‧ mat ‧ ic /ˌsɪmptəˈmætɪk◂/ BrE AmE adjective
1 . formal if a situation or type of behaviour is symptomatic of something, it shows that a serious problem exists
symptomatic of
The rise in unemployment is symptomatic of a general decline in the economy.
2 . medical showing that someone has a particular illness
—symptomatically /-kli/ adverb