double-blind

adjective

dou·​ble-blind ˌdə-bəl-ˈblīnd 

sometimes offensive

: of, relating to, or being an experimental procedure in which neither the subjects nor the experimenters know which subjects are in the test and control groups during the actual course of the experiments see usage paragraph at blind entry 1 compare open-label, single-blind

Examples of double-blind in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One of Welsh’s research assistants, who also was a nurse, administered the double-blind study, interviewing and testing patients. — Courtney Crowder, Des Moines Register, 15 Mar. 2026

Meanwhile another trial that was double-blind examined the use of ibogaine for reducing cocaine cravings and found fewer relapses in the drug group compared with the placebo group. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 24 Apr. 2026

Some countries require double-blind age assurance, which means the websites don’t get any user data from the age checks and the age verification companies don’t know which websites users are visiting. — Angela Yang, NBC news, 15 Apr. 2026

To better understand the relationship between glucosamine supplements and Alzheimer’s, large-scale double-blind clinical trials are still needed, Sun said. — Cathy Nelson, Health, 18 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for double-blind

• countersigned
• disinclined
• humankind
• interlined
• intertwined
• mastermind
• misaligned
• nonaligned
• predefined
• realigned
• reassigned
• recombined

Medical Definition

double-blind

adjective

dou·​ble-blind ˌdəb-əl-ˈblīnd 

sometimes offensive

: of, relating to, or being an experimental procedure in which neither the subjects nor the experimenters know which subjects are in the test and control groups during the actual course of the experiments

Note: Figurative uses of blind, whether alone or as part of a longer word, compound, or idiom, are sometimes considered offensive when they associate negative characteristics (such as lack of knowledge or understanding) with blindness. Generally speaking, the more negative such a use is, the more likely it is to offend.

compare open-label, single-blind