prognosis
noun
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.
Examples of prognosis in a Sentence
Victoria Usher, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
The party in power typically loses House seats in the first midterm elections after a president takes office, which would suggest a grim prognosis for the GOP, especially with Trump’s approval ratings dipping into the low 40% range.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 23 July 2025
The prognosis for the bullpen is not as bright, however.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 17 July 2025
The prognosis for prostate cancer has improved dramatically over the past few decades, and many factors have played a role in this positive evolution.
—Alex Apatoff, People.com, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prognosis
Cite this Entry
“Prognosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prognosis. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prognosis
noun
Medical Definition
prognosis
noun
P. A. Mead et al.
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