1. the diagnosis of a disease or condition in a patient who does not actually have it, or the diagnosis of a disease that would not have caused harm if left undetected
Usage: medical/healthcare context; often used in discussions of screening and diagnostic practices

Examples

• Overdiagnosis of thyroid cancer has led to unnecessary surgeries in many patients.
• The screening program was criticized for contributing to overdiagnosis of early-stage prostate cancer.
• Doctors must balance the benefits of early detection with the risks of overdiagnosis.
• Overdiagnosis can cause unnecessary anxiety and expose patients to unwanted treatments.
• Some experts argue that widespread screening increases the rate of overdiagnosis in the population.
• The study examined how overdiagnosis affects patient outcomes and quality of life.