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diagnosis

Etymology and origin of the English word diagnosis

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1681
Ultimate origin
Ancient Greek (διάγνωσις)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /daɪəɡˈnəʊsɪs/[1]

Etymology

It is New Latin, from Ancient Greek διάγνωσις (diágnōsis, “a discerning, distinguishing”),[2][3][4] from διαγιγνώσκω (diagignṓskein, “to discern, distinguish”), from διά (diá, “apart”) and γιγνώσκω (gignṓskein, “to learn, know”),[5][2] from PIE Proto-Indo-European *gno- (“to know”) (see know).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The determination of a disease from its symptoms: 1681 in the OED and Barnhart, the 1680s in Etymonline;[6][2][3] MWU dates it to 1655.[7]

Semantic evolution

In biology, a precise description distinguishing a species or genus is from 1840,[6] and the figurative identification of the cause of any problem from 1855.[6] The adjective diagnostic (1625) is older,[2] and the verb diagnose is an 1861 back-formation from diagnosis.[2]

Timeline

  • 1625 – diagnostic.[2]
  • 1681 – the identification of a disease.[6]
  • 1840 – in biology.[6]
  • 1855 – figurative use.[6]
  • 1861 – diagnose.[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The identification of a disease or condition from its signs and symptoms.
  2. An analysis of the cause or nature of a problem, or the conclusion reached.
  3. (biology) A precise description distinguishing a species or other group.

Word family

  • diagnose
  • diagnostic
  • diagnostician
  • diagnostics
  • electrodiagnosis
  • immunodiagnosis
  • misdiagnosis
  • overdiagnosis
  • agnosia
  • agnostic
  • agnosticism
  • gnosis
  • prognose
  • prognosis
  • prognostic
  • prognostication
  • gnostic
  • know

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ Cresswell, Julia (2021), Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins, 3rd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  6. ^ a b c d e f Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
Cite this entry

“Diagnosis.” Etymologically, 16 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/diagnosis. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·