diagnostic
diagnostic — adjective
1. relating to the process of finding out which illness a person has by studying th
relating to the process of finding out which illness a person has by studying their symptoms and the results of medical tests
The hospital bought a new diagnostic machine that scans the whole body in thirty seconds.
diagnostic + noun (equipment)
Dr. Eleni studied the diagnostic report carefully before discussing the results with Rin.
A diagnostic blood test tells doctors whether an infection is bacterial or viral.
The community clinic offers free diagnostic checks for high blood pressure every Tuesday morning.
- clinical
focuses on direct observation and treatment of patients rather than on testing
- analytical
broader in scope — used for any systematic examination, not limited to medicine
文法句型
diagnostic + noun
用法筆記
This sense is almost always used directly before a noun — for example, a diagnostic test, a diagnostic report, or diagnostic equipment. It describes the process of finding an illness, not the illness itself.
常見錯誤
2. used for finding the cause of a problem in a system, machine, process, or area o
used for finding the cause of a problem in a system, machine, process, or area of work
The technician ran a diagnostic program to locate the fault in the office network.
diagnostic program (IT context)
Faisal used a diagnostic tool to test each part of the broken photocopier.
A diagnostic test at the start of term showed the teacher each student's level.
A diagnostic review of the company's sales process helped the team find several weak points.
- investigative
suggests a careful, step-by-step search for the cause
- evaluative
focuses on measuring or judging quality rather than pinpointing a specific fault
文法句型
diagnostic + noun
用法筆記
While sense 1 is specific to medicine, this sense extends to any field where faults or weaknesses need to be identified — including information technology, education, and business management.
常見錯誤
diagnostic — noun
1. the academic or professional field that deals with identifying diseases and heal
the academic or professional field that deals with identifying diseases and health conditions
Professor Tunde has taught diagnostic at the medical school for over twenty years.
uncountable noun: taught diagnostic
Advances in diagnostic have made it possible to detect many cancers at an earlier stage.
The course covers both diagnostic and treatment planning for common infectious diseases.
Élise decided to specialize in diagnostic after working as a pathologist for five years.
- diagnosis
refers to a specific medical opinion; 'diagnostic' (uncountable) refers to the field or discipline as a whole
用法筆記
This uncountable noun refers to the academic or professional field of diagnosis itself, not to a single act of diagnosing an illness. For one specific medical opinion, use the countable noun 'diagnosis'.
常見錯誤
2. a distinctive characteristic or mark that can be used to identify a particular s
a distinctive characteristic or mark that can be used to identify a particular species, object, or origin
The bird's bright red chest feathers are a diagnostic of this particular species.
diagnostic of + species (technical use)
In botany, leaf shape is often a diagnostic for telling two similar species apart.
Among antique ceramics, a specific glaze pattern serves as a diagnostic of the original workshop.
For fossil identification, the number of ridges on a tooth is an important diagnostic.
文法句型
diagnostic of + noun
be a diagnostic
用法筆記
This highly specialised sense is used mainly in technical fields such as botany, zoology, archaeology, and geology, where a single observable feature can point to a specific species or origin. It is almost always followed by 'of'.