control group

[ kuhn-trohl groop ]

noun

1. (in an experiment or clinical trial) a group of subjects closely resembling the treatment group in many demographic variables but not receiving the active medication or factor under study and thereby serving as a comparison group when treatment results are evaluated.

control group

noun

1. any group used as a control in a statistical experiment, esp a group of patients who receive either a placebo or a standard drug during an investigation of the effects of another drug on other patients

Word History and Origins

Origin of control group¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

In the first-of-its-kind study, McGill University researchers detected a marked decrease in synaptic density -- the connections between neurons that enable brain communication -- in individuals at risk of psychosis, compared to a healthy control group.

From Science Daily

Should the deal go through, the Onion will have an exclusive advertising agreement with the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety.

From Los Angeles Times

Including the members of the control group, approximately 1,000 children took part in the study.

From Science Daily

To be able to measure changes in behaviour over the three-month period, students and teachers in the control group and the nature-intervention group were asked to fill out short questionnaires.

From Science Daily

A study in people with obesity found no difference in the weight loss observed between the matcha group and the control group.

From Salon