diagnosis
diagnosis — noun
1. a decision, based on checking a person's symptoms, test results, and medical his
a decision, based on checking a person's symptoms, test results, and medical history, about what disease or health problem they have.
The doctor's diagnosis of pneumonia was confirmed by the chest X-ray.
collocation: diagnosis of [condition]
Early diagnosis of breast cancer greatly improves the chances of successful treatment.
collocation: early diagnosis of [disease]
Aoi received a diagnosis of diabetes at the age of twenty-eight.
Carlos had been coughing for two months before the clinic finally gave him a proper diagnosis of asthma.
The hospital's first diagnosis was wrong — Layla actually had a viral infection, not a bacterial one.
- medical opinion
less formal, often used when a second doctor is consulted for confirmation
- clinical assessment
refers to the full evaluation process, not just the conclusion; more formal
- pathology report
specifically refers to the written laboratory result, not the doctor's judgment
文法句型
diagnosis + of + [illness/disease/condition]
make/diagnose + a diagnosis
receive/confirm + a diagnosis
用法筆記
The verb 'diagnose' is more common in everyday conversation than the noun 'diagnosis'. The plural form is 'diagnoses' (pronounced /daɪəɡˈnoʊsiːz/).
常見錯誤
2. a careful examination of a difficult situation, system failure, or business prob
a careful examination of a difficult situation, system failure, or business problem in order to find out what is causing it.
The mechanic's diagnosis of the engine problem saved the company thousands in repair costs.
collocation: diagnosis of [problem]
Tuan's diagnosis of the team's low morale pointed to poor communication from senior management.
Before fixing the software bug, the IT team needed a thorough diagnosis of what had gone wrong.
The engineer offered a clear diagnosis of why the old bridge had developed cracks in its support beams.
Iris was praised for her accurate diagnosis of the financial crisis facing the small bakery.
- analysis
broader term; analysis can describe a problem without identifying its cause, while diagnosis implies finding the root cause
- investigation
focuses on the process of looking for information rather than the conclusion
- troubleshooting
more hands-on and practical; common in computing and engineering
文法句型
diagnosis + of + [problem/situation]
make + a diagnosis
用法筆記
This sense extends the medical meaning to any field where identifying the root cause of a problem is essential. It is especially frequent in computing (software diagnosis), engineering (mechanical diagnosis), and business (organisational diagnosis).