overdiagnose

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verb

To diagnose something more often than it actually occurs.

“Health experts deny claims that they overdiagnose mental health conditions.”

Opposite
underdiagnose
OriginEnglish diagnose ← Latin diagnōsis ← Ancient Greek δῐᾰ́γνωσῐς (dĭắgnōsĭs) →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

verboverdiagnose (third-person singular simple present overdiagnoses, present participle overdiagnosing, simple past and past participle overdiagnosed)

present singular third person overdiagnoses · participle present overdiagnosing · participle past overdiagnosed · past overdiagnosed

  1. medicineTo diagnose something more often than it actually occurs.

    Health experts deny claims that they overdiagnose mental health conditions.

    1 more example

    Dissociative identity disorder is a contentious diagnosis: some professionals say the disorder is overdiagnosed; others say it doesn't even exist.

    2009 January 11, Jeanne Dorin Mcdowell, “The Four (at Least) Faces of Tara”, in New York Times

    Antonyms: underdiagnose

  2. medicineTo diagnose as a clinical case what is truly a subclinical case.

    Her GP incorrectly referred her to a pulmonologist, overdiagnosing what was clearly a case of subclinical, mild allergy.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo diagnose something more often than it actually occurs.

Opposite
underdiagnose

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Germanic*uber
  4. Old Englishofer-
  5. Middle Englishover-
  6. Englishover-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*dwóh₁
  8. Proto-Indo-European*trísinflu.
  9. Proto-Indo-European*dwís
  10. Ancient Greekδιά (diá)
  11. Ancient Greekδια- (dia-)
  12. Proto-Indo-European*ǵneh₃-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*ǵn̥h₃sḱéti
  14. Proto-Hellenic*gignṓskō
  15. Ancient Greekγῐγνώσκω (gĭgnṓskō)
  16. Ancient Greekδῐαγῐγνώσκω (dĭagĭgnṓskō)
  17. Ancient Greekδῐᾰ́γνωσῐς (dĭắgnōsĭs)
  18. Latindiagnōsis
  19. Englishdiagnosisbf.
  20. Englishdiagnose
  21. Englishoverdiagnose

From over- + diagnose.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French surdiagnostiquer
  • surdiagnostiquerto diagnose more frequently than actual occurrence
Spanish sobrediagnosticar
  • sobrediagnosticarto diagnose more frequently than actual occurrence
Cite this entry
APA

overdiagnose. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overdiagnose

MLA

“overdiagnose.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overdiagnose. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overdiagnose,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overdiagnose.

Source: overdiagnose on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.