With its prefix pro-, meaning "before", prognosis means basically "knowledge beforehand" of how a situation is likely to turn out. Prognosis was originally a strictly medical term, but it soon broadened to include predictions made by experts of all kinds. Thus, for example, economists are constantly offering prognoses (notice the irregular plural form) about where the economy is going, and climate scientists regularly prognosticate about how quickly the earth's atmosphere is warming.
Right now, doctors say his prognosis is good. The president had a hopeful prognosis about the company's future.
Recent Examples on the WebAlthough the prognosis is still unknown, the family and team of doctors behind Cooper’s survival remain hopeful, his mother Keely Roberts said. Shanzeh Ahmad, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2022 The prognosis is grim: most who have acrania are either stillborn or die soon after. Caitlin Huey-burns, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2022 Once your doctor provides a diagnosis, ask why your condition indicates that diagnosis and what the prognosis is. Dana Santas, CNN, 7 July 2022 After initially being placed in the intensive care unit, his family said his prognosis continued to improve. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 30 Aug. 2022 LMC Automotive’s August forecast predicts sales in Western Europe will slide 6.4% in 2022, roughly the same as its July prognosis although that’s an improvement on the previous month’s forecast of a 7.4% fall. Neil Winton, Forbes, 14 Aug. 2022 Her prognosis for those already afflicted is not encouraging. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 10 Aug. 2022 He had been diagnosed with throat cancer earlier this year, Whetstone told the television station, but said his prognosis had been good. Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 29 June 2022 His mother died earlier this year; his wife recovered, and her prognosis is good. Ricardo Nagaoka, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Late Latin, from Greek prognōsis, literally, foreknowledge, from progignōskein to know before, from pro- + gignōskein to know — more at know