misdiagnosis

American

[mis-dahy-uhg-noh-sis] / ˌmɪs daɪ əgˈnoʊ sɪs /

noun

an incorrect diagnosis.

misdiagnosis British

/ ˌmɪsdaɪəɡˈnəʊsɪs /

noun

the act or an instance of misdiagnosing or being misdiagnosed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

misdiagnoses

plural

Etymology

Origin of misdiagnosis

First recorded in 1945–50; mis- ¹ + diagnosis

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.

He told CBS that was a misdiagnosis, and that his confusion and the “euphoric highs and dark lows” he was known for were symptoms of the dementia.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

This helps reduce the risk of misdiagnosis and unnecessary concern for patients.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

Recent cases of alleged misdiagnosis illustrate this point.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 30, 2025

Wayne Darch, who was head of emergency operations at the South Western Ambulance Service in 2018, told the inquiry "more could have been done" to train staff on "misdiagnosis awareness".

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2024

A misdiagnosis of this type was not uncommon at the time.

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