What is meant by 'subclinical'?

Question

I am thinking it means a disease condition, such as infection without obvious signs and symptoms.

Answer 1

Exactly. Often it refers to early or "smoldering" conditions.

"relating to the stage in the development of a disease before the symptoms are observed"

Answer 2

That will work. These days, there are enough tests done that it's not uncommon to discover a subclinical problem like hypothyroidism well before it gets severe enough to cause any symptoms at all. Asthma patients can follow their peak expriratory flow rates to tell when pulmonary function is decreasing well before they can tell on the basis of shortness of breath. There are examples throughout the world of medicine, one of the most remarkable being the autopsies done in WW II on troops killed in combat that showed coronary artery disease in young and obviously previously healthy troops.

Answer 3

Subclinical does not refer to infections. The term refers to conditions like jaundice,anemia etc . The term means that when a physician examines the individual he can not make out the defect like there is no yellow sclera or visible pallor but when blood or other laboratory test is ordered there will be higher bilirubin and lesses hemoglobin .