prognostic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to prognosis.
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predictive of something in the future.
prognostic signs and symbols.
noun
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a forecast or prediction.
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an omen or portent; sign.
adjective
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of, relating to, or serving as a prognosis
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foretelling or predicting
noun
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med any symptom or sign used in making a prognosis
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a sign or forecast of some future occurrence
Other Word Forms
- prognosticable adjective
- prognostically adverb
Etymology
Origin of prognostic
First recorded in 1375–1425; (for the adjective) late Middle English pronostik, from Medieval Latin prognōsticus, from Greek prognōstikós “of foreknowledge”; equivalent to pro- 2 + gnostic; noun derivative of the adjective
Explanation
A prognostic is like a sneak peek into the future, offering clues or predictions about what might happen next, especially in medicine or weather forecasting. In medicine, doctors often talk about prognostic factors, which are signs or symptoms that help predict how a patient's illness will progress. Similarly, in weather forecasting, certain cloud formations can be prognostic of an approaching storm. Coming from the Greek word prognōstikos, meaning "foreknowing," this term is used to offer insight into future events, helping people anticipate and prepare for what may come.
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.
The researchers now hope to develop an EV-DNA-based prognostic test for metastasis risk, as well as a vaccine-like therapy to enhance tumor EV-DNA signaling and suppress metastasis in patients with early stage cancer.
From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2024
Mack has found Cronin’s messages increasingly resonating the deeper he goes into his first college season based on their prognostic prowess.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2024
The AI system analyzes 26 different properties of a patient's breast tissue to generate an overall prognostic score.
From Science Daily • Nov. 27, 2023
She had a mastectomy, and there was no evidence of cancer at the time of her surgery — a great prognostic sign, Dr. Carey said.
From New York Times • Jul. 23, 2022
This, however, in such circumstances, is a favourable prognostic.
From Specimens of German Romance; Vol. II. Master Flea Selected and Translated from Various Authors by Hoffmann, Ernst Theodor Amadeus
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.
