Vertigo is indeed a symptom characterized by the illusion of movement or spinning, either of yourself (subjective vertigo) or of your surroundings (objective vertigo). It is not a condition on its own but rather a manifestation of an underlying problem in the vestibular system, which is responsible for maintaining balance and spatial orientation.

So dizziness is a symptom that’s often described as feeling lightheaded, or off balance, or wavy as if you're on a boat, while vertigo is a symptom that is described as if the world is spinning around you. This can be a bit of a scary experience because it may come about suddenly or without warning as you're going about your everyday routine or it may happen after a traumatic injury such as a concussion or a car accident.