misdiagnose
verb
mis·di·ag·nose
ˌmis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs 
-ˌnōz,
ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs,
-ˈnōz,
-əg-
misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing
: to diagnose (someone or something) incorrectly
… babesiosis is often missed or misdiagnosed as malaria or flu.—
Linda Marsa
Linda MarsaThe researchers added that children with this disease are often misdiagnosed and thus inappropriately treated …—Jane E. Brody
Jane E. Brody
Examples of misdiagnose in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Younger people, especially, often are misdiagnosed with depression, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
—Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2023
Little had been misdiagnosed a few months earlier, initially with a noncancerous fibroid tumor, common in young Black women and something that runs in her family.
—Essence, 1 Nov. 2023
Because there isn’t a single diagnostic test for inflammatory bowel disease, many patients spend years either undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or untreated.
—Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Oct. 2023
Some of the veterans KARE 11 spoke with said they were misdiagnosed following brief screenings that did not sufficiently assess brain injuries.
—Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 12 May 2023
When applied to a large and diverse population, this means that the medical needs of a select population–such as people of color, underrepresented communities, people with disabilities, or people with a specific type of health plan coverage–can be ignored, overlooked, or misdiagnosed.
—Chevon Rariy, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2023
Cathy Kassis, 5, was misdiagnosed by doctors as having a common cold, but ended up dying from the bacterial infection Strep A
A family is grappling with the unexpected loss of their 5-year-old daughter.
—Sandra Rose Salathe, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023
The disease was first identified here after an 80-year-old man in northern Queens died in late August of 1999 of what was initially misdiagnosed as St. Louis encephalitis.
—Andy Newman, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023
When her friends raised concerns, Zuniga saw a doctor who misdiagnosed her with depression.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 21 Aug. 2023
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Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2023
Little had been misdiagnosed a few months earlier, initially with a noncancerous fibroid tumor, common in young Black women and something that runs in her family.
—Essence, 1 Nov. 2023
Because there isn’t a single diagnostic test for inflammatory bowel disease, many patients spend years either undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or untreated.
—Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Oct. 2023
Some of the veterans KARE 11 spoke with said they were misdiagnosed following brief screenings that did not sufficiently assess brain injuries.
—Sarah Volpenhein, Journal Sentinel, 12 May 2023
When applied to a large and diverse population, this means that the medical needs of a select population–such as people of color, underrepresented communities, people with disabilities, or people with a specific type of health plan coverage–can be ignored, overlooked, or misdiagnosed.
—Chevon Rariy, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2023
Cathy Kassis, 5, was misdiagnosed by doctors as having a common cold, but ended up dying from the bacterial infection Strep A
A family is grappling with the unexpected loss of their 5-year-old daughter.
—Sandra Rose Salathe, Peoplemag, 12 Sep. 2023
The disease was first identified here after an 80-year-old man in northern Queens died in late August of 1999 of what was initially misdiagnosed as St. Louis encephalitis.
—Andy Newman, New York Times, 29 Aug. 2023
When her friends raised concerns, Zuniga saw a doctor who misdiagnosed her with depression.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 21 Aug. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misdiagnose.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1883, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near misdiagnose
Cite this Entry
“Misdiagnose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misdiagnose. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.
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Medical Definition
misdiagnose
transitive verb
mis·di·ag·nose
(ˈ)mis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs, -ˌnōz
misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing
: to diagnose incorrectly
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