NEWS Health News Word of the Week: Prognosis By Team Verywell Health Published on June 09, 2021 Fact checked Verywell Health content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Nick Blackmer Fact checked by Nick Blackmer LinkedIn Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact-checker, and researcher with more than 20 years’ experience in consumer-oriented health and wellness content. Learn about our editorial process Share Tweet Email Print Alex Dos Diaz / Verywell Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology. Prognosis How to say it: Prognosis (prog-no-sis). What it means: The expected way that a condition or disease will unfold. Where it comes from: From the Greek "pro" meaning "before" and "gnosis" meaning "to know." The Good Brigade/Getty Where you might see or hear it: When you are given a diagnosis, your doctor might use the term prognosis when discussing what your life will look like from now on. If you have a serious illness like cancer that is expected to shorten your life, the term prognosis might be used to describe how much longer you are expected to survive. When you might want to use it: If you are diagnosed with a chronic medical condition (including mental health conditions) your loved ones might ask you how your diagnosis will affect your life. You might explain that while you might need to make some changes or face challenges, your doctor says that your overall prognosis is good. That might mean that while your life will be different, it's not expected to be shorter because of your condition. Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Merriam-Webster. Definition of Prognosis. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit