diagnostic

adjective di·ag·nos·tic \ -ˈnäs-tik \

variants: or less commonly diagnostical play \-ti-kəl\

Updated on: 22 Apr 2018

1 a : of, relating to, or used in diagnosis

a diagnostic tool

b : using the methods of or yielding a diagnosis

diagnostic tests

2 : serving to distinguish or identify

a diagnostic feature

—

diagnostically

play \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See diagnostic defined for English-language learners

See diagnostic defined for kids

Examples of diagnostic in a Sentence

Ultrasound is now widely used as a diagnostic tool.
One important diagnostic feature of this condition is a mild rash.

Recent Examples of diagnostic from the Web

The new body odor work could also help lead to a diagnostic tool, or improve mosquito traps, Logan says.

— warren cornwall, Science | AAAS, "Malaria infection creates a ‘human perfume’ that makes us more attractive to mosquitoes," 16 Apr. 2018
Lasers and flashing lights were presented as the latest diagnostic tools, fat reducers, or brain scanners.

— sarah blaskey, miamiherald, "Step right up, get your hair-growth helmets, plus placenta face creams AND zero-gravity chairs | Miami Herald," 13 Apr. 2018
The university later paid NantHealth $10 million to use its diagnostic tool GPS Cancer to sequence patients’ DNA.

— andrea chang, latimes.com, "Patrick Soon-Shiong — immigrant, doctor, billionaire, and soon, newspaper owner — starts a new era at the L.A. Times," 13 Apr. 2018
Make sure future releases of your app are 64-bit compatible by using new diagnostic tools in Xcode 9.3 beta and testing on macOS 10.13.4 beta.

— samuel axon, Ars Technica, "Apple has begun notifying macOS users of coming 32-bit app incompatibility," 12 Apr. 2018
By piggybacking on the diagnostic hardware, Hampson and his colleagues were able to record, and later deliver, electrical activity.

— robbie gonzalez, WIRED, "A Brain-Boosting Prosthesis Moves From Rats to Humans," 6 Apr. 2018
Boston, thanks to its research hospitals and universities, sees a lot of innovation in diagnostic tests.

— scott kirsner, BostonGlobe.com, "Turn your bathroom into a medical lab," 6 Apr. 2018
Elimination diets can be great diagnostic tools for helping people pinpoint (and avoid) specific irritants, but only when done under the care and supervision of a licensed professional.

— christine byrne, SELF, "19 Healthy Food Blogs for Whole30 Recipes and Ideas," 2 Apr. 2018
Food safety experts at the World Health Organization plan to review the company’s exports to 15 countries across Africa, many of which lack reliable disease surveillance systems and diagnostic tools.

— emily baumgaertner, New York Times, "Bologna Blamed in Worst Listeria Outbreak in History," 30 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of diagnostic

1625

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

diagnostic

noun

1 : the art or practice of diagnosis —often used in plural

2 : a distinguishing mark

—

diagnostician

play \-(ˌ)näs-ˈti-shən\ noun

Examples of diagnostic in a Sentence

the thesis that moral decline is the infallible diagnostic of a decadent society

Recent Examples of diagnostic from the Web

Abbott still makes medical devices, diagnostics and nutritional supplements for sale across the globe.

— denise roland, WSJ, "Drug Makers Find New Profit Formula: Take Generics, Add Marketing," 23 Oct. 2017
Pinpointing genetic areas that underlie autism would be the gold standard for diagnostics and is something Dodman has done before.

— kathryn bowers, Slate Magazine, "Can Dogs Have Autism?," 12 June 2017
The combined firm would offer everything from basic health services to diagnostics to drug-infusion centres.

— The Economist, "A merger between CVS Health and Aetna could be what the doctor ordered," 4 Nov. 2017
Successful code-breaking often comes down to diagnostics: the ability to see the whole rather than just the parts, to discern the underlying system the enemy has devised to disguise its communications.

— liza mundy, Slate Magazine, "The groundbreaking female naval cryptographer who helped change the course of World War II.," 10 Oct. 2017
Far more research is needed to clarify the progression, prevalence, and diagnostics of CTE.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Tackle football before age 12 may boost risks of cognitive, mood disorders," 19 Sep. 2017
Similarly, insurers such as Cigna are working with New York startup Prognos, which applies AI to clinical diagnostics, to identify members with a high likelihood of being diagnosed with diseases such as diabetes.

— brian gormley, WSJ, "Data-Crunching Technology Spurs Insurance Dollars," 26 July 2017
Older cars, built after 1996, can now get that smart car functionality with Autobrain, a small device that plugs into the car’s on-board diagnostics port, usually located under the steering wheel.

— andrea smith, NBC News, "Want Lane Assist and Other Fancy Tech in Your Old Car? There’s an App for That…," 25 Oct. 2017
That meant that crisp images of soft tissue inside the body could be produced by radio waves, the technology behind MRI scans used in medical diagnostics.

— james r. hagerty, WSJ, "Nobel Laureate’s Work Led to Advances in Lasers, MRI Scans," 29 Sep. 2017