prognosis

noun

prog·​no·​sis präg-ˈnō-səs 

plural prognoses präg-ˈnō-ˌsēz 

1

: the prospect of recovery as anticipated from the usual course of disease or peculiarities of the case

2

: forecast, prognostication

Did you know?

Prognosis Is Not Just a Medical Term

With its prefix pro-, meaning "before", prognosis means basically "knowledge beforehand" of how a situation is likely to turn out. Prognosis was originally a strictly medical term, but it soon broadened to include predictions made by experts of all kinds. Thus, for example, economists are constantly offering prognoses (notice the irregular plural form) about where the economy is going, and climate scientists regularly prognosticate about how quickly the earth's atmosphere is warming.

Synonyms

• auguring
• augury
• bodement
• cast
• forecast
• forecasting
• foretelling
• predicting
• prediction
• presaging
• prognostic
• prognosticating
• prognostication
• prophecy
• prophesy
• soothsaying
• vaticination

Examples of prognosis in a Sentence

Right now, doctors say his prognosis is good.

The president had a hopeful prognosis about the company's future.

Recent Examples on the Web

If caught early and the melanoma is just in the upper layer of the skin, the prognosis is better and treatment is less invasive. —Cindy Krischer Goodman, Sun Sentinel, 16 May 2025

Life Expectancy Prostate cancer that becomes unresponsive to hormone therapy portends a poor prognosis (disease outcome). —Matthew Wosnitzer, Verywell Health, 12 May 2025

Catching uterine cancer early may improve your prognosis and likelihood of treatment success. —Carrie Madormo, Rn, Health, 13 Apr. 2025

The rub is how good is the diagnosis and prognosis by generative AI going to be. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Greek prognōsis, literally, foreknowledge, from progignōskein to know before, from pro- + gignōskein to know — more at know

First Known Use

1655, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prognosis

• cirrhosis
• fibrosis
• gliosis
• hypnosis
• ichthyosis
• ketosis
• kurtosis
• lordosis
• meiosis
• miosis
• mitosis
• mycosis

Kids Definition

prognosis

noun

prog·​no·​sis präg-ˈnō-səs 

plural prognoses -ˈnō-ˌsēz 

1

: the prospect of recovery of an individual who has a disease based on the usual course of the disease and the characteristics of the individual who is sick

2

: forecast entry 2

Medical Definition

prognosis

noun

prog·​no·​sis präg-ˈnō-səs 

plural prognoses -ˌsēz 

1

: the act or art of foretelling the course of a disease

2

: the prospect of survival and recovery from a disease as anticipated from the usual course of that disease or indicated by special features of the case

the prognosis is poor because of the accompanying cardiovascular disease

—P. A. Mead et al.