prognosis
prog-NOH-sis
/prɒɡˈnəʊ.sɪs/
A medical forecast regarding the likely course and outcome of a disease or condition.
Differs from diagnosis; diagnosis identifies what the illness is, whereas prognosis predicts how it will progress.
The story behind the word. From Ancient Greek prognosis, literally meaning 'prior knowledge'. Hippocratic physicians emphasized prognosis to gain the trust of patients by predicting disease trajectories.
Word relationships
- forecast: Forecast is general and often weather-related; prognosis specifically denotes clinical outcome predictions.
- projection: Projection refers to statistical trends, whereas prognosis is a tailored clinical judgment.
Commonly confused with
- diagnosis: Diagnosis is the identification of an illness, while prognosis is the prediction of its future development and recovery chances.
Word family
- prognosticate (verb): To foretell or predict an outcome.
- prognostic (adjective): Serving as a forecast or indication.
Collocations
- favorable prognosis
- poor prognosis
- long-term prognosis
- excellent prognosis
Example sentences
- "Early detection significantly improves the long-term prognosis for cancer patients." Oncology patient consultation
- "The surgeon delivered a favorable prognosis after successfully removing the localized tumor." Post-surgical patient debriefing
Memory hook
PRO (before) + GNOSIS (knowing) = knowing the outcome beforehand. Predicting disease outcome.
When not to use
Do not confuse with diagnosis (naming the disease).
Fun facts
- In ancient Greece, Hippocrates considered accurate prognosis even more important than naming the exact disease.
Related words
Explore more words
diagnosis, forecast, predict, prophylactic, prophecy, diagnostic
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.