"What's the plural of diagnosis?"
The plural of diagnosis is diagnoses.
Definition of diagnosis:
Investigation, analysis or judgement into the probable cause of an issue from its symptoms, often of a medical nature.
Diagnoses vs. Diagnosis
The word "diagnosis" comes from the Greek word "diagōsis," which means "to distinguish" or "to discern."
The plural form of the word is formed by replacing the -is ending with -es to form diagnoses.
The word "diagnosis" is not a native English word, and it has retained the original Greek plural ending. This is why the plural form of "diagnosis" is not "diagnosises," which would be the expected form if the word were native to English.
There are many other words in English that have retained their original Greek or Latin plurals, such as "analyses," "crises," "oases," "theses," and "syntheses." These words also have irregular plurals that do not follow the typical English pluralization rules.
Plural of Diagnosis Example Sentences
Here are some examples to illustrate the difference between "diagnosis" and "diagnoses":
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"The doctor made a diagnosis of the patient's illness." - In this sentence, "diagnosis" is a singular noun referring to one specific identification or determination of an illness.
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"The doctor made several diagnoses for the patient." - In this sentence, "diagnoses" is a plural noun referring to more than one identification or determination of the patient's illnesses.
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"The patient received a diagnosis of influenza." - In this sentence, "diagnosis" is a singular noun referring to the identification of the patient's illness as influenza.
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"The patient received diagnoses of influenza and pneumonia." - In this sentence, "diagnoses" is a plural noun referring to the identifications of the patient's illnesses as influenza and pneumonia.
Fun Fact:
The word "diagnoses" has a very long history, with roots in ancient Greek medicine.
Today, the word "diagnoses" is still used in the same way, and it is a crucial part of modern medicine.
Doctors and other healthcare professionals rely on accurate diagnoses to determine the best course of treatment for their patients, and the process of making a diagnosis has come a long way since the days of ancient Greece.
Sources:
https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/10-essential-facts-about-rare-diseases/
