Words / P / Medicine

presenting complaint

noun/prɪˈzentɪŋ kəmˈpleɪnt/

B2CEFR level
60/100Rarity: rare
TechnicalRegister

The main symptom or problem, usually in the patient's own words, that has prompted them to seek medical help on this occasion.

So that I understand things properly, could you tell me in your own words what the main problem has been that brought you in today?

Similar: chief complaint, presenting problem

Topic: Clinical consultation in Medical English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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More medicine words: Clinical consultation