diagnostic

[ dahy-uhg-nos-tik ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or used in diagnosis.
2. serving to identify or characterize; being a precise indication.

noun

1. diagnosis ( def 1 ).
2. a symptom or characteristic of value in diagnosis.
3. Medicine/Medical. a device or substance used for the analysis or detection of diseases or other medical conditions.
4. Computers.
   1. a message output by a computer diagnosing an error in a computer program, computer system, or component device.
   2. a program or subroutine that produces such messages.

diagnostic

/ ˌdaɪəɡˈnɒstɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or of value in diagnosis

noun

1. med any symptom that provides evidence for making a specific diagnosis
2. a diagnosis

Derived Forms

• ˌdiagˈnostically, adverb

Other Words From

• diag·nosti·cal·ly adverb
• postdi·ag·nostic adjective
• predi·ag·nostic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of diagnostic¹

1615–25; < Greek diagnōstikós, equivalent to diagnōst ( ós ) distinguished (akin to diágnōsis; diagnosis ) + -ikos -ic

Example Sentences

There are too few medical specialists to diagnose early Alzheimer’s, too few of the necessary diagnostic scanners, and too few infusion centers to deliver treatment.

From Fortune

Not everyone who has the virus can access swab-based diagnostic tests, and once they do, their results are often massively delayed by scheduling bottlenecks or short-stocked supplies.

From Quartz

The doctor built his career on the study of coronaviruses, developing the first diagnostic test for SARS back in 2003.

From Fortune

The 22-year-old, whose take-home pay was about $400 per week, was served at home on June 11 while awaiting a second negative diagnostic test so he could return to work.

From ProPublica

In general, LAMP-based diagnostic tests aren’t quite as sensitive as ones based on PCR, Tanner says, but could be used to test more people, given their simpler requirements.

From Science News

The fewer diagnostic criteria required to call a person impaired, the more “any difficulty whatsoever” can be deemed impairment.

From The Daily Beast

The value of the rapid diagnostic test lies in its simplicity.

From The Daily Beast

But not all physicians see rapid diagnostic tests as the answer.

From The Daily Beast

The joint venture entails Corgenix migrating the rapid diagnostic tests into a handheld device designed by Nanomix.

From The Daily Beast

Obama did authorize sending kits for a diagnostic Ebola test called the EZ1 Real-Time RT-PCR Assay.

From The Daily Beast

As a rule, however, persistent glycosuria is diagnostic of diabetes mellitus, of which disease it is the essential symptom.

From Project Gutenberg

Their presence in the blood in considerable numbers is diagnostic of myelogenous leukemia.

From Project Gutenberg

What are the diagnostic characters of beginning elephantiasis?

From Project Gutenberg

Mention the diagnostic features of dermatitis herpetiformis.

From Project Gutenberg

Other signs that are supposed to indicate the habitual practice of masturbation are of little diagnostic value.

From Project Gutenberg