diagnose

verb

di·​ag·​nose ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs 

-ˌnōz,

ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs 

-ˈnōz,

-əg-

diagnosed; diagnosing

transitive verb

1

a

: to recognize (something, such as a disease) by signs and symptoms

The other method of diagnosing gallstones is through an ultrasound examination, which has the advantages of being simple, safe and quick.

—G. Timothy Johnson

Pulmonary embolus was diagnosed in two of the actively treated patients …

—Richard D. Sautter et al.

b

: to recognize a disease or condition in

The physicist and cosmologist was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease when he was a 21-year-old student at Cambridge University.

—Maria Cheng

2

: to analyze the cause or nature of

The mechanic diagnosed the problem with the engine.

intransitive verb

: to identify a disease from its signs and symptoms : to make a diagnosis

diagnosable adjective

or diagnoseable

ˌdī-ig-ˈnō-sə-bəl 

-əg-,

-zə-

Examples of diagnose in a Sentence

The test is used to help in diagnosing heart disease.

Thousands of new cases have been diagnosed in the past year.

The doctor was unable to diagnose the skin condition.

a new doctor with little experience diagnosing patients

The mechanic was unable to diagnose the problem.

Recent Examples on the Web

Research has shown that roughly 9,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every day, and experts estimate one in five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their life, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association. —Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 1 July 2024

In January, the author shared that she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer, following a post-operative analysis of a mole removed during reconstructive surgery, after her mastectomy. —Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 30 June 2024

This may, in part, be due to the fact that many invisible illnesses cannot be diagnosed by a simple blood test or tissue biopsy. —Sunny Sea Gold, Health, 29 June 2024

Identifying stiff person syndrome can be very challenging, and that often means people aren’t diagnosed early and may even be misdiagnosed, says Sarah Wesley, MD, MPH, a neurologist who specializes in inflammatory disorders at Columbia University in New York City. —Becky Upham, EverydayHealth.com, 27 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from diagnosis

First Known Use

circa 1841, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

diagnose

verb

di·​ag·​nose ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs  -ˌnōz 

ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs,

-ˈnōz

diagnosed; diagnosing

: to recognize by signs and symptoms : make a diagnosis

diagnose a disease

diagnose a play in football

Medical Definition

diagnose

verb

di·​ag·​nose ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs  -ˌnōz 

ˌdī-ig-ˈ,

-əg-

diagnosed; diagnosing

transitive verb

1

: to recognize (as a disease) by signs and symptoms

2

: to diagnose a disease or condition in

diagnosed the patient

intransitive verb

: to make a diagnosis

diagnosable adjective

also diagnoseable

ˌdī-ig-ˈnō-sə-bəl, -əg-, -zə-