diagnostic

views updated May 21 2018

di·ag·nos·tic / ˌdīəgˈnästik/ • adj. 1. concerned with the diagnosis of illness or other problems: a diagnostic tool. ∎  (of a symptom) distinctive, and so indicating the nature of an illness: there are fifteen infections that are diagnostic of AIDS.2. characteristic of a particular species, genus, or phenomenon: the diagnostic character of having not one but two pairs of antennae.• n. 1. a distinctive symptom or characteristic. ∎  Comput. a program or routine that helps a user to identify errors.2. (diagnostics) the practice or techniques of diagnosis: advanced medical diagnostics.DERIVATIVES: di·ag·nos·ti·cal·ly / -ik(ə)lē/ adv.di·ag·nos·ti·cian / -ˌnäsˈtishən/ n.