prognostic

American  

[prog-nos-tik] / prɒgˈnɒs tɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to prognosis.

2. predictive of something in the future.

   prognostic signs and symbols.

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noun

1. a forecast or prediction.

2. an omen or portent; sign.

prognostic British  

/ prɒɡˈnɒstɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or serving as a prognosis

2. foretelling or predicting

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noun

1. med any symptom or sign used in making a prognosis

2. a sign or forecast of some future occurrence

Other Word Forms

• prognosticable adjective
• prognostically adverb

Etymology

Origin of prognostic

First recorded in 1375–1425; (for the adjective) late Middle English pronostik, from Medieval Latin prognōsticus, from Greek prognōstikós “of foreknowledge”; equivalent to pro- ² + gnostic; noun derivative of the adjective

Explanation

A prognostic is like a sneak peek into the future, offering clues or predictions about what might happen next, especially in medicine or weather forecasting. In medicine, doctors often talk about prognostic factors, which are signs or symptoms that help predict how a patient's illness will progress. Similarly, in weather forecasting, certain cloud formations can be prognostic of an approaching storm. Coming from the Greek word prognōstikos, meaning "foreknowing," this term is used to offer insight into future events, helping people anticipate and prepare for what may come.

Example Sentences

This insight opens up new avenues for the development of prognostic testing tools.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2024

Mack has found Cronin’s messages increasingly resonating the deeper he goes into his first college season based on their prognostic prowess.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2024

The loss of faith in its prognostic abilities perhaps precipitated the decline of its political draw.

From New York Times • Jan. 23, 2024

The new prognostic factors identified include esophageal malformations and a less severe congenital heart disease.

From Science Daily • Oct. 26, 2023

You sit in your lone room, and the howling wind, gloomy prognostic of winter, gives not forth so despairing a tone as the unheard sighs your ill-fated heart breathes.

From The Life and Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Volume II (of 2) by Marshall, Florence A. Thomas