Imagine you take your car to the mechanic because it’s making a funny sound. The mechanic checks it out and tells you what they think might be wrong and how you can fix it. A prognosis is kind of like that, but for people’s health.

• Doctors use a prognosis to predict what might happen with a patient’s illness or injury.
• It’s like a doctor’s best guess about how someone might get better, how long it might take, and what kind of treatment they might need.

EtymologyEtymology is the study of the origin and history of words. It’s like detective work, tracing how words have changed over time and moved between languages. Think of it like this: • Words have a long history, just like old… Read More (Word OriginsWhat is an origin? An origin is the starting point, the place or source where something begins. It’s like the very first chapter in the story of that thing. Examples: • The origin of a river: Where the river first… Read More)

• “Prognosis” comes from two ancient Greek words:
  • “Pro” – meaning “before” or “in advance”
  • “Gnosis” – meaning “knowledge” or “to know”

So, literally, a prognosis translates to “before knowing.” It’s about understanding what might happen in the future based on the knowledge you have now.