The plural of diagnosis is a common point of confusion in English, especially for those learning medical or academic writing. While the singular form diagnosis describes the identification of a condition, the plural form of diagnosis changes its spelling and pronunciation due to its Greek and Latin origin. This article explains the diagnoses plural, why it is an irregular plural in English, and how to use it correctly in sentences. By the end, you’ll understand the full diagnosis meaning, the rules behind its change, and how it compares to other Greek and Latin plurals.
Medical Terms Ending in -is
Word
Meaning
Example
Diagnosis → Diagnoses
Identification of a disease
The diagnoses were confirmed after lab tests.
Prognosis → Prognoses
Prediction of disease outcome
The doctor gave two possible prognoses.
Analysis → Analyses
Detailed examination
His analyses of the symptoms were thorough.
Hypothesis → Hypotheses
Proposed explanation
Several hypotheses were tested in the lab.
Crisis → Crises
Time of great difficulty
Multiple crises hit the hospital in winter.
Synthesis → Syntheses
Combination of elements
The scientist’s syntheses improved treatment.
Paralysis → Paralyses
Loss of muscle function
The injury caused multiple paralyses.
Psychosis → Psychoses
Severe mental disorders
The patient had recurring psychoses.
Thesis → Theses
Research paper
The students presented their theses.
Oasis → Oases
Fertile spot in desert
We found several oases during the trip.
Common Scientific Plural Forms
Word
Meaning
Example
Symbiosis → Symbioses
Mutual living relationship
The coral and algae have symbioses.
Metamorphosis → Metamorphoses
Change of form
Butterflies go through metamorphoses.
Necrosis → Necroses
Death of tissue
The scans showed several necroses.
Cirrhosis → Cirrhoses
Liver disease
He treated many cirrhoses last year.
Mycosis → Mycoses
Fungal infection
Doctors treated five mycoses cases.
Prognathis → Prognathes
Extended jaw condition
Some prognathies require surgery.
Stenosis → Stenoses
Narrowing of body passage
Multiple stenoses were found in arteries.
Hypnosis → Hypnoses
State of focused attention
Different hypnosis techniques were studied.
Fibrosis → Fibroses
Thickening of tissue
Two fibroses affected his lungs.
Apoptosis → Apoptoses
Programmed cell death
The research studied apoptoses in cancer cells.
Grammar Rules for Words Ending in -is
Word
Meaning
Example
Prognathis → Prognathes
Extended jaw
The dentist studied cases of prognathes.
Scoliosis → Scolioses
Curvature of the spine
Several scolioses were corrected by surgery.
Dermatosis → Dermatoses
Skin disorder
Summer heat worsened dermatoses.
Tuberculosis → Tuberculoses
Bacterial lung infections
Doctors treated multiple tuberculosis.
Osteoporosis → Osteoporoses
Weak bones
Women are more prone to osteoporoses.
Cyanosis → Cyanoses
Blue discoloration of skin
Heart issues caused cyanoses in newborns.
Psychoneurosis → Psychoneuroses
Emotional disorders
The clinic reported five psychoneuroses.
Halitosis → Halitoses
Bad breath
Dental care helped with halitoses.
Adenosis → Adenoses
Gland disease
Lab tests showed adenoses in samples.
Angiogenesis → Angiogeneses
Formation of blood vessels
Cancer research targets angiogeneses.
Plurals in Science and Medicine
Word
Meaning
Example
Arthrosis → Arthroses
Joint degeneration
Elder patients suffer from arthroses.
Leukocytosis → Leukocytoses
High white blood cells
The report listed leukocytoses in patients.
Sepsis → Sepses
Severe infection
Hospitals try to prevent sepsis.
Myelosis → Myeloses
Spinal cord disease
Rare myeloses were studied in neurology.
Epiphysis → Epiphyses
End of long bones
Growth plates are found in epiphyses.
Synapsis → Synapses
Cell pairing
Genetics research explains synapses.
Trichinosis → Trichinoses
Worm infection
Pork caused several trichinoses outbreaks.
Endometriosis → Endometrioses
Uterine tissue disorder
Women with endometrioses often need surgery.
Leukosis → Leukoses
White blood cell disease
Farm animals had leukoses.
Papillomatosis → Papillomatoses
Wart growth
Papillomatoses may affect skin and throat.
Words from Biology and Zoology
Word
Meaning
Example
Mitosis → Mitoses
Cell division
Scientists observed multiple mitoses.
Meiosis → Meioses
Cell reproduction
Meioses occur in reproductive cells.
Cytolysis → Cytolyses
Cell destruction
Toxins can cause cytolyses.
Hemolysis → Hemolyses
Blood cell destruction
Certain drugs cause hemolyses.
Proteolysis → Proteolyses
Protein breakdown
Digestion involves proteolyses.
Phagocytosis → Phagocytoses
Cell engulfing particles
Immune cells perform phagocytoses.
Osmosis → Osmoses
Water movement in cells
Plants rely on osmoses for hydration.
Trophozoite → Trophozoites
Active parasite stage
Doctors found trophozoites in blood.
Apomixis → Apomixes
Asexual reproduction
Some plants use apomixes to spread.
Sympathectomy → Sympathectomies
Nerve removal surgery
Sympathectomies help treat excessive sweating.
Plurals in Chemistry and Physics
Word
Meaning
Example
Catalysis → Catalyses
Speeding chemical reaction
Enzymes act as catalyses.
Electrolysis → Electrolyses
Breaking down with electricity
Electrolyses separate water into gases.
Photolysis → Photolyses
Light-driven breakdown
Plants perform photolyses during photosynthesis.
Hydrolysis → Hydrolyses
Reaction with water
Hydrolyses occur in digestion.
Pyrolysis → Pyrolyses
Decomposition by heat
Wood undergoes pyrolyses.
Hemodialysis → Hemodialyses
Blood filtering
Patients need regular hemodialysis.
Dialysis → Dialyses
Separation process
The lab performed multiple dialyses.
Thermogenesis → Thermogeneses
Heat production
Thermogeneses happen in mammals.
Lithogenesis → Lithogeneses
Rock formation
Geology studies lithogeneses.
Morphogenesis → Morphogeneses
Shape formation in biology
Morphogeneses occur in embryo growth.
Geology and Earth Science Terms
Word
Meaning
Example
Hypothesis → Hypotheses
Proposed theory
Scientists tested several hypotheses.
Parenthesis → Parentheses
Bracket punctuation
The equation used two parentheses.
Genesis → Genesises
Beginning or origin
Several genesises of ideas were discussed.
Crisis → Crises
Difficult times
Two crises affected the town.
Axis → Axes
Central lines
The chart had two axes.
Oasis → Oases
Desert water spot
Camels rested at oases.
Basis → Bases
Foundations
The research had strong bases.
Synopsis → Synopses
Summaries
The teacher read the synopses.
Thesis → Theses
Academic research papers
Students defended their theses.
Analysis → Analyses
Examinations
Multiple analyses confirmed the results.
Latin and Greek Influence on Medical Plurals
Word
Meaning
Example
Prosthesis → Prostheses
Artificial body part
Doctors fitted new prostheses.
Diagnosis → Diagnoses
Disease identification
Three diagnoses matched the symptoms.
Hypothesis → Hypotheses
Proposed ideas
The hypotheses were tested in trials.
Psychosis → Psychoses
Mental illness
The clinic handled many psychoses.
Prognosis → Prognoses
Expected disease outcome
Early prognoses were positive.
Parenthesis → Parentheses
Brackets
The code used parentheses.
Paralysis → Paralyses
Loss of movement
Injury caused paralysis in limbs.
Synthesis → Syntheses
Combination of ideas
The report gave syntheses of findings.
Metamorphosis → Metamorphoses
Life form change
Frogs undergo metamorphoses.
Symbiosis → Symbioses
Mutual benefit
Plants and fungi have symbioses.
Rare and Specialized Scientific Plurals
Word
Meaning
Example
Anthracosis → Anthracoses
Lung disease from coal dust
Miners had anthracoses.
Sarcoidosis → Sarcoidoses
Inflammatory disease
Doctors diagnosed several sarcoidoses.
Lymphadenosis → Lymphadenoses
Lymph node disease
The scan showed lymphadenoses.
Fibromatosis → Fibromatoses
Tissue overgrowth
Surgery removed fibromatoses.
Angiomatosis → Angiomatoses
Blood vessel tumors
Rare angiomatoses affect organs.
Lipomatosis → Lipomatoses
Fat growths
Lipomatoses can be benign or harmful.
Myomatosis → Myomatoses
Muscle tumors
Doctors studied myomatoses in patients.
Papillomatosis → Papillomatoses
Wart growth
Throat papillomatoses need treatment.
Osteochondrosis → Osteochondroses
Bone-cartilage disease
Athletes risk osteochondroses.
Mastocytosis → Mastocytoses
Mast cell buildup
The hospital researched mastocytoses.
Plural of Diagnosis in Medicine
Word
Meaning
Example Sentence
Syndromes → Syndromes
A group of symptoms indicating a condition
The doctor noted several syndromes in his report.
Illness → Illnesses
A state of poor health
Seasonal changes bring various illnesses.
Infection → Infections
The invasion of the body by pathogens
The hospital reported multiple infections after surgery.
Treatment → Treatments
Methods to cure or manage diseases
The clinic offers several treatments for diabetes.
Symptom → Symptoms
A sign or indicator of a disease
Fever and cough are common symptoms of flu.
Therapy → Therapies
Medical treatment for physical or mental conditions
Different therapies help patients recover faster.
Injury → Injuries
Damage to body tissues
The athlete suffered multiple injuries during the match.
Condition → Conditions
A particular state of health
Patients with chronic conditions require regular check-ups.
Complication → Complications
Secondary issues caused by a primary disease
Surgery can sometimes lead to complications.
Prognosis → Prognoses
A forecast of the disease’s course
The prognoses for cancer patients vary widely.
Plural of Diagnosis in Pathology
Word
Meaning
Example Sentence
Biopsy → Biopsies
Examination of tissue to detect disease
The lab processed several biopsies today.
Lesion → Lesions
Damaged area of tissue or organ
The MRI revealed multiple lesions on the liver.
Tumor → Tumors
Abnormal growth of cells
The hospital treats both benign and malignant tumors.
Specimen → Specimens
A sample for testing
The lab received blood specimens for analysis.
Culture → Cultures
Growth of microorganisms in a lab
The test required bacterial cultures for diagnosis.
Mutation → Mutations
A change in DNA sequence
Cancer can result from genetic mutations.
Infarction → Infarctions
Tissue death due to lack of blood supply
Heart infarctions require urgent care.
Pathogen → Pathogens
Disease-causing organisms
Hospitals work to control dangerous pathogens.
Ulcer → Ulcers
Open sores on skin or internal tissue
Stress can cause stomach ulcers.
Plaque → Plaques
Deposits in arteries or on teeth
Arterial plaques can block blood flow.
Psychology in Plural of Diagnosis
Word
Meaning
Example Sentence
Disorder → Disorders
Mental or emotional health conditions
Anxiety and depression are common disorders.
Phobia → Phobias
Irrational fears
Many people have multiple phobias.
Addiction → Addictions
Dependency on substances or behaviors
Addictions can harm physical and mental health.
Hallucination → Hallucinations
Perception without real stimulus
Sleep deprivation can cause hallucinations.
Delusion → Delusions
Strong false beliefs
Schizophrenia often involves delusions.
Impulse → Impulses
Sudden urges
Strong emotional impulses can affect decision-making.
Mood → Moods
Emotional states
Therapy helps regulate negative moods.
Stress → Stresses
Mental or emotional strain
Chronic stresses can weaken immunity.
Trauma → Traumas
Deep emotional or physical injury
War veterans often suffer from traumas.
Personality → Personalities
Unique psychological traits
Siblings can have very different personalities.
Plural of Diagnosis in Veterinary Science
Word
Meaning
Example Sentence
Breed → Breeds
Types of animals within a species
The farm keeps several breeds of cattle.
Parasite → Parasites
Organisms living off a host
Dogs must be treated for parasites regularly.
Allergy → Allergies
Immune reactions to substances
Cats can develop food allergies.
Vaccination → Vaccinations
Immunization against diseases
Puppies require multiple vaccinations.
Inoculation → Inoculations
Introducing a vaccine into the body
Farmers schedule animal inoculations annually.
Infection → Infections
Disease caused by germs
Birds can get respiratory infections.
Condition → Conditions
Health state of an animal
The vet monitors chronic conditions in older pets.
Symptom → Symptoms
Signs of illness
Lethargy and loss of appetite are symptoms in dogs.
Treatment → Treatments
Methods of healing or curing
The clinic offers advanced treatments for livestock.
Diagnosis → Diagnoses
Identifying a disease
The vet made several diagnoses after examining the herd.
Conclusion
The plural of diagnosis is diagnoses, an example of irregular plurals in English that come from Greek and Latin roots. This rule is shared by other medical terms such as the plural of analysis and plural of crisis. Knowing the difference between diagnosis vs diagnoses is essential for correct diagnosis grammar and clear communication. By practicing diagnosis examples and diagnoses examples, you can confidently use the correct form in both professional and everyday language.
Freck John, linguist and English educator, shares grammar insights and writing tips at English Twinkle, making language concepts accessible to all learners.