prognostic

1 of 2

noun

prog·​nos·​tic präg-ˈnä-stik How to pronounce prognostic (audio)
1
: something that foretells : portent
2

prognostic

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or serving as ground for prognostication or a prognosis
prognostic weather charts
favorable prognostic signs

Examples of prognostic in a Sentence

Noun a prognostic of a global pandemic that turned out to be distressingly accurate
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
What is contained in this prognostic are rules or instructions by which to predict the very season, day, and hour of death coming to one who is sick, by the signs that are here set down. David Treuer, Harper's Magazine, 26 Oct. 2021 The prognostics became official after the 76ers rookie point guard was examined by Dr. Ben Kibler at the Medical Director of the Shoulder Center of Kentucky on Sunday. Keith Pompey, Philly.com, 29 Oct. 2017
Adjective
Wyss-Coray anticipates this research could lead to a simple blood test that could guide prognostic work—in other words, a test that could help foretell future illness. Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 6 Dec. 2023 Studies show this test has lower prognostic accuracy in Black women. Nathalie McDowell Johnson, STAT, 19 Sep. 2023 Including race in prognostic models intended to reward individual efforts can also increase disparities. Anirban Basu, The Conversation, 26 May 2023 Can the method be turned into a prognostic tool, inferring to what extent UWS patients are on the road to recovery? Christof Koch, Scientific American, 1 Nov. 2017 Look, my prognostic powers have failed me in the past, and I’ll doubtlessly be surprised again in 2023 and beyond. Marc Cooper, Forbes, 6 Feb. 2023 Exercising and being otherwise healthy are other good prognostic signs. Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 28 Dec. 2022 Now, this paper, by a group of scientists associated with a brain injury research initiative called TRACK-TBI, shows that the assays are not only diagnostic, but also prognostic. Akila Muthukumar, STAT, 12 Aug. 2022 The authors claim that their methodology works better than existing prognostic methods. Jonathan Vanian, Fortune, 18 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prognostic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English pronostique, from Middle French, from Latin prognosticum, from Greek prognōstikon, from neuter of prognōstikos foretelling, from progignōskein

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prognostic was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near prognostic

Cite this Entry

“Prognostic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prognostic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

prognostic

adjective
prog·​nos·​tic präg-ˈnäs-tik How to pronounce prognostic (audio)
: of, relating to, or serving as ground for a prognosis
a prognostic sign
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