placebo

noun

pla·ce·bo | \ plə-ˈsē-(ˌ)bō

plural placebos

Definition of placebo

1a : a usually pharmacologically inert preparation prescribed more for the mental relief of the patient than for its actual effect on a disorder

b : an inert or innocuous substance used especially in controlled experiments testing the efficacy of another substance (such as a drug)

2 : something tending to soothe

Did you know? Example Sentences Learn More About placebo

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Doctors doing research on new treatments for disease often give one group a placebo while a second group takes the new medication. Since those in the placebo group usually believe they're getting the real thing, their own hopeful attitude may bring about improvement in their condition. Thus, for the real drug to be considered effective, it must produce even better results than the placebo. Placebos have another use as well. A doctor who suspects that a patient's physical symptoms are psychologically produced may prescribe a placebo in the hope that mentally produced symptoms can also be mentally cured.

Examples of placebo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the study, 63 of 1,109 volunteers in the placebo group developed HIV, while 51 of the 1,079 volunteers who received the vaccine developed HIV. — Matthew Herper, STAT, 31 Aug. 2021 In the study, 63 of 1,109 volunteers in the placebo group developed HIV, while 51 of the 1,079 volunteers who received the vaccine developed HIV. — BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2021 Infections occurred in 50% of those on Afinitor, compared with 25% in the placebo group. — John Fauber And Coulter Jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2021 Sax pointed out that all seven COVID-19-related deaths in the J&J trial were among the placebo group. — Rashika Jaipuriar, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Aug. 2021 About 800 of the trial participants were from South Africa and nine of them developed COVID-19, all in the placebo group. — Miriam Fauzia, USA TODAY, 13 Aug. 2021 Sax pointed out that all seven COVID-19-related deaths in the J&J trial were among the placebo group. — Terry Demio, The Enquirer, 10 Aug. 2021 Only two people in the placebo group died of COVID-19 and one person in the vaccinated group died of COVID-19 pneumonia, according to additional Pfizer data obtained by The Associated Press. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2021 The final analysis is in the new preprint, which reports that almost half of patients in the placebo group died, versus only 11% in the treatment arm, a 77% reduction in mortality. — Robert F. Service, Science | AAAS, 7 July 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'placebo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.