misdiagnose

verb

mis·​di·​ag·​nose ˌmis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs How to pronounce misdiagnose (audio)
-ˌnōz,
ˌdī-ig-ˈnōs,
-ˈnōz,
-əg-
misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing

transitive verb

: to diagnose (someone or something) incorrectly
… babesiosis is often missed or misdiagnosed as malaria or flu.Linda Marsa
The researchers added that children with this disease are often misdiagnosed and thus inappropriately treated …Jane E. Brody

Examples of misdiagnose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Camouflaging can also lead to someone being misdiagnosed. Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2024 As the condition can be misdiagnosed, Duchaine believes PMO may be more common than reported. Bill Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 10 Apr. 2024 After Her Death The rocker survived a brain aneurysm in 2001, which was misdiagnosed at the time, according to NPR, and put his career on hold for several years. Sadie Bell, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Patients with heart failure are misdiagnosed at a rate of 16% in hospitals and nearly 70% when general practitioners refer patients to specialists, according to a study in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. Steve Levine, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024 There are situations in which doctors can misdiagnose people with TB. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2024 The authors’ analytic errors matter: misdiagnosing the problem can lead to inappropriate, perhaps even counterproductive, solutions. Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Autism wasn’t officially recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders until 1980, and in 2013 its definition changed, leaving some teens and adults misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all. Katie Camero, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 Despite its severity, SPS is often underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to its rarity and the broad range of its symptoms, which can resemble those of other neurological and muscular disorders. Jake Parks, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2024

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of misdiagnose was in 1883

Dictionary Entries Near misdiagnose

Cite this Entry

“Misdiagnose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misdiagnose. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.

Medical Definition

misdiagnose

transitive verb
mis·​di·​ag·​nose (ˈ)mis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs, -ˌnōz How to pronounce misdiagnose (audio)
misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing
: to diagnose incorrectly

More from Merriam-Webster on misdiagnose

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