clinical trial

noun

: a scientifically controlled study of the safety and effectiveness of a therapeutic agent (such as a drug or vaccine) using consenting human subjects

Examples of clinical trial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The randomized clinical trial enrolled 114 patients with moderate-to-mild knee osteoarthritis who were each assigned a very low dose of radiation, a low dose or a placebo. Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2025 The drug next will be up for clinical trials, though Wettersten said a timeline for that is unclear. Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2025 While ideally the subjects of a clinical trial should reflect the diversity of the population that’s likely to use the drug, in practice this doesn’t always happen. Harsh Gupta, Time, 16 Oct. 2025 Preservé is only compatible with the Motiva SmoothSilk Ergonomix (teardrop-shaped) breast implants, which the FDA approved last year, following a lengthy clinical trial that demonstrated unprecedentedly low rates of complications. Jolene Edgar, Allure, 15 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for clinical trial

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clinical trial was in 1946

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Cite this Entry

“Clinical trial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clinical%20trial. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

Medical Definition

clinical trial

noun
: a scientifically controlled study of the safety and effectiveness of a therapeutic agent (as a drug or vaccine) using consenting human subjects

More from Merriam-Webster on clinical trial

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