prognosis
noun
Did you know?
Prognosis Is Not Just a Medical Term
With its prefix pro-, meaning "before", prognosis means basically "knowledge beforehand" of how a situation is likely to turn out. Prognosis was originally a strictly medical term, but it soon broadened to include predictions made by experts of all kinds. Thus, for example, economists are constantly offering prognoses (notice the irregular plural form) about where the economy is going, and climate scientists regularly prognosticate about how quickly the earth's atmosphere is warming.
Synonyms of prognosis
Examples of prognosis in a Sentence
Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 20 Jan. 2026
Sam Woodward For many, getting a Stage IV cancer diagnosis is a daunting feeling and often comes with a scary prognosis.
—Sam Woodward, USA Today, 15 Jan. 2026
There has been no word on John Mara’s prognosis, but this could be his last major move as the steward of the franchise that has been in his family for 101 years.
—Dan Duggan, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026
Her initial prognosis was three years, but now five years have since passed.
—Vanessa Etienne, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prognosis
Cite this Entry
“Prognosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prognosis. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prognosis
noun
Medical Definition
prognosis
noun
P. A. Mead et al.
