pro-gnostic
|pro-gnos-tic|
🇺🇸
/prəˈɡnɑːstɪk/
🇬🇧
/prəˈɡnɒstɪk/
(prognostic)
predictive
Etymology
'prognostic' originates from Late Latin, specifically the word 'prognosticus', which itself comes from Greek 'prognōstikos' (from 'pro-' meaning 'before' and 'gnōsis' meaning 'knowledge').
'prognōstikos' (Greek) passed into Late Latin as 'prognosticus' and into Middle English/Modern English as 'prognostic', keeping the sense of 'relating to foreknowledge or prediction'.
Initially, it meant 'able to foretell or relating to foreknowledge'; over time it has become specialized, especially in medicine, to mean 'relating to prognosis or predictive of an outcome'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a sign, factor, or piece of information used to predict the likely outcome (a prognostic indicator or omen).
The clinician considered the pro-gnostic among other clinical signs.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 1
relating to or serving as a sign or prediction of the likely outcome (especially in medicine: indicating prognosis).
The pro-gnostic marker suggested a good chance of recovery.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/30 06:00