diagnose

1 of 2

verb

di·​ag·​nose ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs 

-ˌnōz, 

ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs 

-ˈnōz, 

-əg-

diagnosed; diagnosing

transitive verb

1

a

: 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

diagnosable adjective

or diagnoseable

ˌdī-ig-ˈnō-sə-bəl 

-əg-, 

-zə-

diagnosable

2 of 2

adjective

di·​ag·​nos·​able

variants or diagnoseable

ˈdīə̇gˌnōsəbəl 

-īēg- also -ōzə- or ˌ⸗⸗ˈ⸗⸗⸗

: capable of being diagnosed

Examples of diagnose in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

In diagnosing what happened in North Carolina last week, Budd blamed the extent of their losses on national Republicans’ decision to pull funding for Michael Whatley, their Senate nominee, late in the cycle. — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 11 Nov. 2026

His longtime partner, Evans Richardson, died in April 2023, and he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome that same August. — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 11 Nov. 2026

Dion, whose public outings were limited in recent years after she was diagnosed with stiff-person syndrome diagnosis, is on temporary break from her triumphant record-breaking comeback Paris residency. — Gina Vivinetto, NBC news, 10 Nov. 2026

In 2023, Scalise announced he had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. — Nikole Killion, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

back-formation from diagnosis

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1841, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for diagnose

• arkose
• engross
• faroese
• fructose
• fucose
• gatos
• glucose
• jocose
• morose
• plateaus
• spinose
• vadose

Kids Definition

diagnose

verb

di·​ag·​nose ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs  -ˌnōz 

ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs, 

-ˈnōz

diagnosed; diagnosing

: to recognize by signs and symptoms : make a diagnosis

diagnose a disease

diagnose a play in football

Medical Definition

diagnose

verb

di·​ag·​nose ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs  -ˌnōz 

ˌdī-ig-ˈ, 

-əg-

diagnosed; diagnosing

transitive verb

1

: to recognize (as a disease) by signs and symptoms

2

: to diagnose a disease or condition in

diagnosed the patient

intransitive verb

: to make a diagnosis

diagnosable adjective

also diagnoseable

ˌdī-ig-ˈnō-sə-bəl, -əg-, -zə-