prognosis

noun

prog·​no·​sis präg-ˈnō-səs How to pronounce prognosis (audio)
plural prognoses präg-ˈnō-ˌsēz How to pronounce prognosis (audio)
1
: the prospect of recovery as anticipated from the usual course of disease or peculiarities of the case
2

Did you know?

Prognosis Is Not Just a Medical Term

With its prefix pro-, meaning "before", prognosis means basically "knowledge beforehand" of how a situation is likely to turn out. Prognosis was originally a strictly medical term, but it soon broadened to include predictions made by experts of all kinds. Thus, for example, economists are constantly offering prognoses (notice the irregular plural form) about where the economy is going, and climate scientists regularly prognosticate about how quickly the earth's atmosphere is warming.

Examples of prognosis in a Sentence

Right now, doctors say his prognosis is good. The president had a hopeful prognosis about the company's future.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But December 15 was the prognosis for just now starting to ramp up for the postseason. Michael Salfino, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024 But that only changed the prognosis from hopeless to daunting. Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 9 Dec. 2024 At one point, the staff members were unsure about the prognosis for his eye. Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024 While long-term studies are still needed, evidence indicates that when patients maintain appropriate treatment under medical supervision, the prognosis is generally positive. Megan Bruneau, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prognosis 

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Greek prognōsis, literally, foreknowledge, from progignōskein to know before, from pro- + gignōskein to know — more at know

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prognosis was in 1655

Dictionary Entries Near prognosis

Cite this Entry

“Prognosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prognosis. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

prognosis

noun
prog·​no·​sis präg-ˈnō-səs How to pronounce prognosis (audio)
plural prognoses -ˈnō-ˌsēz How to pronounce prognosis (audio)
1
: the prospect of recovery of an individual who has a disease based on the usual course of the disease and the characteristics of the individual who is sick
2

Medical Definition

prognosis

noun
prog·​no·​sis präg-ˈnō-səs How to pronounce prognosis (audio)
plural prognoses -ˌsēz How to pronounce prognosis (audio)
1
: the act or art of foretelling the course of a disease
2
: the prospect of survival and recovery from a disease as anticipated from the usual course of that disease or indicated by special features of the case
the prognosis is poor because of the accompanying cardiovascular diseaseP. A. Mead et al.

More from Merriam-Webster on prognosis

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