Diagnose
/ˌdaɪ.əɡˈnoʊz/noun
To identify a disease or condition from its signs and symptoms.
Did you know?Diagnose comes from Greek diagnōsis, and its root gnō- also gave us *gnostic*, *ignore*, and *notice*—so “knowing” has been hiding inside some of our most powerful words.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
diagnōsis
“discernment; distinguishing, especially in medical observation”
Late Greek
Greek
diagnōskein
“to distinguish or discern clearly”
Latin
Latin
diagnosis
“a medical determination or identification”
17th–18th Century
English
diagnosis
“medical identification of a disease from symptoms”
19th Century
English
diagnose
“to determine the nature of a disease or problem by observation and analysis”
Modern English
English
diagnose
“to identify a disease, condition, or problem from its signs”