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

The double-blind trial recruited 24 male participants over age 45, splitting them into a placebo group and a DAZZEON group of 12 each. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

The process should also be double-blind, with lineups administered by officers who don’t know who the suspect is. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026

New patients could gain access under a scientific double-blind research protocol. — Robert Pearl, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

The trial was randomized and double-blind, meaning neither researchers nor participants knew who received the treatment or the dummy pill. — Erica Sweeney, EverydayHealth.com, 24 July 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