diagnostic
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or used in diagnosis.
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serving to identify or characterize; being a precise indication.
noun
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a symptom or characteristic of value in diagnosis.
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Medicine/Medical. a device or substance used for the analysis or detection of diseases or other medical conditions.
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Computers.
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a message output by a computer diagnosing an error in a computer program, computer system, or component device.
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a program or subroutine that produces such messages.
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adjective
noun
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med any symptom that provides evidence for making a specific diagnosis
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a diagnosis
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of diagnostic
1615–25; < Greek diagnōstikós, equivalent to diagnōst ( ós ) distinguished (akin to diágnōsis; see diagnosis) + -ikos -ic
Explanation
Anything diagnostic has to do with disease, especially figuring out which one a patient has. If your doctor wants to run diagnostic tests, then she isn't exactly sure what's wrong with you — so the tests will help diagnose you (figure out what's wrong). The TV show House is all about diagnostic tests: it features illnesses that are unusual and hard to determine. But anything diagnostic is trying to figure out what's wrong. A writing test could be called diagnostic if it's trying to determine how good or bad your writing skills are.
Vocabulary lists containing diagnostic
Novel Study: The Crucible, Act 1
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The Wednesday Wars
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Lesson 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Scientists sequenced DNA from tissue samples that veterinarians had previously collected for diagnostic purposes.
From Science Daily • May 24, 2026
She said the diagnostic process involved assessments by paediatricians, speech and language therapists and play therapists, as well as reports from nursery staff and other healthcare professionals.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
The company expects to combine PathAI’s offerings with its own in order to drive laboratory efficiency and foster the discovery of potential drug targets and new diagnostic tools.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
“It was an interesting time to come over and lead a diagnostic organization through a massive pandemic,” he said.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
After all, doctors had been drawing blood for centuries for diagnostic testing, and aside from the pain of a needle stick, there seemed to be no risk.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
