differential diagnosis
noun
: the distinguishing of a disease or condition from others presenting with similar signs and symptoms
Examples of differential diagnosis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The physician’s assistant who saw Alejandro wrote in his records that his differential diagnosis included pulmonary embolism and acute coronary syndrome and made an appointment for him with Mansoor, the lawsuit says.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2026
Students would begin by first drafting their own differential diagnosis.
—Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
The differential diagnosis includes bacterial folliculitis, an infection of the hair follicles caused by Staphylococcus aureus.71
Milder cases of tinea barbae appear similar to the following diseases that cause comparable symptoms.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 15 Aug. 2024
Later that night, they were told that their MRI was canceled as doctors would be doing a differential diagnosis instead.
—Georgia Slater, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2023
Accurate differential diagnosis is essential not just for getting patients care, but also for furthering medical understanding of a still-obscure condition.
—WIRED, 2 Sep. 2022
Supernumerary nipple should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a vulvar mass.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 5 May 2017
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 Mar. 2026
Students would begin by first drafting their own differential diagnosis.
—Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025
The differential diagnosis includes bacterial folliculitis, an infection of the hair follicles caused by Staphylococcus aureus.71
Milder cases of tinea barbae appear similar to the following diseases that cause comparable symptoms.
—Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 15 Aug. 2024
Later that night, they were told that their MRI was canceled as doctors would be doing a differential diagnosis instead.
—Georgia Slater, Peoplemag, 27 Apr. 2023
Accurate differential diagnosis is essential not just for getting patients care, but also for furthering medical understanding of a still-obscure condition.
—WIRED, 2 Sep. 2022
Supernumerary nipple should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a vulvar mass.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 5 May 2017
Cite this Entry
“Differential diagnosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/differential%20diagnosis. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
