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misdiagnosis

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

noun

  • misdiagnoses
    plural
  1. an incorrect diagnosis.


misdiagnosis British  
/ ˌmɪsdaɪəɡˈnəʊsɪs /

noun

  1. 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

Noun Inflected Forms


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.

See Examples For:

“Sopranos” star Sigler, who has been living with MS for more than a decade, assured her co-host that the misdiagnosis changes nothing about Applegate’s efforts to bring awareness to MS or to educate listeners.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

But the lead researcher, Dr Varun Warrier, says this shows "autism broadening out genetically" rather than misdiagnosis.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Patients say misdiagnosis of the syndrome is common and diagnoses can be delayed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Recent cases of alleged misdiagnosis illustrate this point.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 30, 2025

Is it based on a misdiagnosis of a legitimate problem, such as declaring that a construction which is sometimes ambiguous is always ungrammatical?

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

“All we need are some horror stories” about misdiagnoses or dangerous advice, “and that whole area is tarred.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026

For nearly a year, repeated misdiagnoses of the deadly kala-azar disease left 60-year-old Harada Hussein Abdirahman's health deteriorating, as an outbreak in Kenya's arid regions claimed a record number of lives.

From Barron's ● Feb. 8, 2026

A few years before, after years of misdiagnoses by other doctors, this one had discovered her brain tumor and successfully removed it.

From Slate ● Mar. 23, 2025

The report by the Equality and Social Justice Committee said mistakes and misdiagnoses occurred often due to the "wholly inappropriate use of family members as interpreters in medical settings, rather than trained professionals".

From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2024

"Conventional tools often fail to capture the intricate mechanics and dynamics of the right ventricle, leading to potential misdiagnoses and inadequate treatment strategies," Singh says.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 8, 2023

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