diagnose

verb

di·ag·nose | \ ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs

, -ˌnōz, ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs

, -ˈnōz, -əg-\

diagnosed; diagnosing

Definition of diagnose

transitive verb

1a : to recognize (something, such as a disease) by signs and symptoms The other method of diagnosing gallstones is through an ultrasound examination, which has the advantages of being simple, safe and quick.— G. Timothy Johnson Pulmonary embolus was diagnosed in two of the actively treated patients …— Richard D. Sautter et al.

b : to recognize a disease or condition in The physicist and cosmologist was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease when he was a 21-year-old student at Cambridge University.— Maria Cheng

2 : to analyze the cause or nature of The mechanic diagnosed the problem with the engine.

intransitive verb

: to identify a disease from its signs and symptoms : to make a diagnosis

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Examples of diagnose in a Sentence

The test is used to help in diagnosing heart disease. Thousands of new cases have been diagnosed in the past year. The doctor was unable to diagnose the skin condition. a new doctor with little experience diagnosing patients The mechanic was unable to diagnose the problem.

Recent Examples on the Web

The longtime Jeopardy host posted a video on YouTube on Wednesday, revealing that he has been diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. — Megan Stein, Country Living, "'Jeopardy' Host Alex Trebek Has Been Diagnosed With Cancer," 6 Mar. 2019 The essay collection tracks the author’s affliction—she has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type—but also discusses the limitations of diagnosis, the mixed blessing that labelling an affliction entails. — Bridget Read, Vogue, "Most Anticipated Books of 2019: 19 Picks You Should Have on Your Reading List," 1 Jan. 2019 The more children diagnosed with a disability at a school, the more money a state or federal program would allocate to that school. — WSJ, "On the Overmedication of School Children," 14 Mar. 2019 Other parents of children diagnosed with AFM soon find the Facebook page. — Erik Lacitis, The Seattle Times, "Mysterious paralyzing illness leaves Washington families reeling," 19 Oct. 2018 And Hugo, recently diagnosed with brain cancer, needs a caregiver. — Constance Grady, Vox, "Crime novelist Tana French is at her creepy, thoughtful best with The Witch Elm," 12 Oct. 2018 Another found that women dealing with infertility felt as anxious or depressed as those diagnosed with cancer or recovering from a heart attack. — Elissa Strauss, Glamour, "This Netflix Movie Perfectly Pinpoints What's So Maddening About IVF," 11 Oct. 2018 Up to 70 percent of those diagnosed with BPD self-harm. — Molly Burford, Allure, "9 Things You Should Know About Borderline Personality Disorder, From Someone Who Has It," 8 Oct. 2018 According to Asher, these types of accommodations can work wonders for kids on the autism spectrum or for children diagnosed with ADHD. — Megan Barber, Curbed, "Why cities need accessible playgrounds," 20 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diagnose.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.