placebo Definition
- 1a medicine or procedure prescribed for the psychological benefit to the patient rather than for any physiological effect
- 2a substance that has no therapeutic effect, used as a control in testing new drugs
Using placebo: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "placebo" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The doctor prescribed a placebo to calm her nerves.
Example
The study included a group of patients who were given a placebo instead of the actual medication.
Example
The placebo effect can sometimes be as effective as actual medication.
placebo Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for placebo
- dummy pill
- sugar pill
- inactive substance
- sham treatment
Phrases with placebo
the phenomenon in which a patient experiences a perceived improvement in their condition due to receiving a placebo
Example
The placebo effect can be so strong that patients report feeling better even when they receive a sugar pill instead of actual medication.
a surgical procedure that is performed on a patient but does not involve any actual medical intervention, often used in studies to test the effectiveness of surgery
Example
The study included a group of patients who underwent placebo surgery, where incisions were made but no actual medical intervention was performed.
placebo response
the response of a patient to a placebo, often used in studies to compare the effectiveness of a drug to a placebo
Example
The study found that the drug was more effective than the placebo, as evidenced by the difference in placebo response between the two groups.
Origins of placebo
from Latin 'placebo', meaning 'I shall please'
Summary: placebo in Brief
A 'placebo' [pləˈsiːbəʊ] is a medicine or procedure prescribed for the psychological benefit of the patient, without any physiological effect. It is often used as a control in testing new drugs and can have a significant impact on the patient's perceived improvement, known as the 'placebo effect.' 'Placebo' extends into phrases like 'placebo surgery' and 'placebo response,' used in studies to test the effectiveness of surgery and drugs.
