Prognostic
<B>1.</B> (adjective) In medicine, relating to the prognosis of a disease.
For example, a favorable prognostic factor.<BR><B>2.</B> (adjective) Generally, relating to a prediction.
For example, a prognostic index for the economy.
<BR><B>3.</B> (noun) In medicine, an indicator of the course of a disease.<BR><B>4.</B> (noun) Any type of prediction.<BR><BR>The word prognostic is far more often used today as an adjective than as a noun.
Prognostic is taken from the Greek prognostikos (of knowledge beforehand).
It combines pro (before) and gnosis (a knowing).
Hippocrates used the word prognosis, much as we do today, to mean a foretelling of the course of a disease.