diagnosticado

Diagnosticado is the past participle of the Spanish verb diagnosticar, meaning someone who has received a diagnosis. In everyday language, it functions mainly as an adjective describing a person who has been diagnosed with a disease, condition, or disorder. The gendered forms are diagnosticado (masc.) and diagnosticada (fem.), with plural diagnosticados and diagnosticadas.

Usage typically occurs in medical contexts but can appear in other formal settings to indicate that a person has a recognized diagnosis. It is not usually used as a standalone noun in standard Spanish; instead, one would say “la persona diagnosticada” or “el paciente diagnosticado.” In some informal or regional usages, “el diagnosticado” may be employed as a shorthand noun, but this is less common in formal writing and may affect tone or clarity.

Etymology and related terms: diagnosticado derives from diagnosticar, which in turn comes from the Greek roots related to discerning or distinguishing through diagnostic methods. The related noun diagnóstico refers to the diagnosis itself, while diagnosticado emphasizes the state of having been diagnosed.

Context and considerations: as a descriptor, diagnosticado can carry medical, legal, or administrative connotations, signaling that a formal assessment has occurred. Writers should prefer precise phrasing, such as naming the condition, when possible, and use the feminine or masculine forms to match the subject.

See also: diagnóstico, diagnóstica, diagnóstico diferencial, medicina, diagnóstico por imágenes.