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. BrodyExamples of misdiagnose in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Her case reflects a common yet tragic reality of cancer symptoms usually being misdiagnosed or overlooked and then leading to late-stage detection when treatment options are more limited.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
The most likely culprit for the increase in autism is better diagnostic and treatment tools for autism, which was long missed or misdiagnosed as mental retardation.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
These systems frequently misdiagnose conditions or recommend inappropriate treatments because they were primarily trained on data from male patients.
—Swati Tyagi, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
One in four people with Parkinson's disease are initially misdiagnosed, The Washington Post reports.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misdiagnose
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Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025
The most likely culprit for the increase in autism is better diagnostic and treatment tools for autism, which was long missed or misdiagnosed as mental retardation.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 12 Apr. 2025
These systems frequently misdiagnose conditions or recommend inappropriate treatments because they were primarily trained on data from male patients.
—Swati Tyagi, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
One in four people with Parkinson's disease are initially misdiagnosed, The Washington Post reports.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, People.com, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for misdiagnose
Cite this Entry
“Misdiagnose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misdiagnose. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
misdiagnose
transitive verb
mis·di·ag·nose
(ˈ)mis-ˈdī-ig-ˌnōs, -ˌnōz
misdiagnosed; misdiagnosing
: to diagnose incorrectly
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