prognostic

English

Alternative forms

• prognostick (obsolete)

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Medieval Latin prognosticus, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Ancient Greek προγνωστικός (prognōstikós, “foreknowing”), from πρό- (pró-) + γνωστικός (gnōstikós, “of or for knowing, good at knowing”), from γιγνώσκω (gignṓskō, “to learn to know, to perceive, to mark, to learn”). Compare French pronostic (“prognostic”).

Adjective

prognostic (comparative more prognostic, superlative most prognostic)

1. Of, pertaining to or characterized by prognosis or prediction.

Synonyms

• foretelling
• predictive

Translations

of or pertaining to prognosis

• Finnish: ennusteellinen
• French: pronostique (fr)
• Italian: prognostico (it)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Portuguese: prognóstico (pt)
• Spanish: pronóstico (es)

Noun

prognostic (plural prognostics)

1. (rare, medicine) prognosis
   • 1935, T.S. Eliot, Murder in the Cathedral, Part I:

     There are several opinions as to what he meant

     But no one considers it a happy prognosis.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Parr to this entry?)

2. A sign by which a future event may be known or foretold.

   Careful observers may foretell the hour

   (By sure prognostics) when to dread a show’r.

   While rain depends, the pensive cat gives o’er

   Her frolics, and pursues her tail no more. Jonathan Swift

3. A prediction of the future.
   • (Can we date this quote by Macaulay and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     The choice of a successor was no light matter. That choice would inevitably be considered by the country as a prognostic of the highest import.

4. One who predicts the future.

Synonyms

• (sign): indication, sign, omen, foretelling, prediction

Related terms

• prognostatic
• prognosis
• prognosticable
• prognosticate

Anagrams

• topscoring

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Middle French

Noun

prognostic m (plural prognostics)

1. prognostic (prediction about the future)

Descendants

• French: pronostic