Meaning & use
anicteric
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivenot comparablemedical
Not showing jaundice; having no yellowing of the skin or eyes.
Grammar: Used mainly in medical notes; it describes a condition, not a degree.
Patterns
- anicteric sclera
- anicteric patient
- the patient is anicteric
The physical exam noted anicteric sclera, meaning the eyes were not yellow.
The patient was anicteric, so jaundice was unlikely.
An anicteric presentation does not rule out liver disease.
Common combinations
- anicteric sclera
- The doctor wrote 'anicteric sclera' to indicate no yellowing of the eyes.
- anicteric patient
- The anicteric patient showed no signs of jaundice.
- anicteric skin
- Her skin was anicteric, so the nurse did not suspect liver problems.
Synonyms and how they differ
- non-jaundiced
- A more everyday term; 'anicteric' is the technical medical word.
Opposites
Word family
- icteric adjective
- Showing jaundice; yellowing of the skin or eyes.
- icterus noun
- The medical term for jaundice.
Commonly confused: anicteric or icteric?
anicteric vs icteric
Icteric means jaundiced (yellow), while anicteric means the opposite: not jaundiced.
Practice
In a medical note, what does 'anicteric sclera' mean?
Choose one answer.
'Anicteric' means without jaundice, so the sclera (white of the eye) is not yellow. Option A describes icteric sclera. Options C and D describe other eye conditions, not jaundice.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “anicteric”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.