functional disorder
- noun
- /ˈfʌŋkʃənl dɪsˈɔrdər/
- Specialized
:
trastorno funcional
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a distressing and complex functional disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Examples
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Functional disorders.
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Functional disorders are distressing to patients and are often chronic and long-lasting.
Academic text (2015) -
When there is a functional disorder, such as hearing loss or vertigo, judicious removal of the tumor can be undertaken.
Academic text (2008) -
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a distressing and complex functional disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Academic text (2012) -
The vast majority of such functional disorders can be treated with speech therapy if they don't go away on their own.
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Functional disorders are distressing to patients and are often chronic and long-lasting.
Synonyms
1
8.6
A sickness that has no known cause
1
9.9
A disease with no known cause
A health problem with no known cause
Antonyms
- Specialized
1
5.1
Physical changes in an organ or part of the body cause a health problem
How Physical
- Specialized
1
5.8
- Specialized
1
5.1
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally combines 'functional' (relating to how something works) and 'disorder' (a medical/mental condition), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a problem with functioning rather than a structural injury. However, the technical nuance — that symptoms occur without an identifiable physiological or anatomical cause — is a specialized medical meaning not fully predictable from the constituents alone. Because the core idea is partly transparent but the clinical implication requires prior exposure, it is best classified as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Functional disorder comes from medicine and paints a simple picture: functional refers to 'function' or 'how the body works' and disorder means it is not working right. So the phrase explains real symptoms when tests show 'no visible damage', because the problem is with function, not a broken part.