a group that serves as the control (noun) in a scientific experiment; specif., such a group that does not receive the substance, drug, treatment, etc. being tested
noun
The control group is defined as the group in an experiment or study that does not receive treatment by the researchers and is then used as a benchmark to measure how the other tested subjects do.
An example of a control group is the people in a clinical trial who do not get to try out the brand new drug that is being tested.
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"control group." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/control-group>.
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control group. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/control-group
control group
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"control group." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/control-group>.
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control group. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/control-group
Noun
(plural control groups)
- (in an experiment) The group of test subjects left untreated or unexposed to some procedure and then compared with treated subjects in order to validate the results of the test.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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MLA Style
"control group." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/control-group>.
APA Style
control group. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/control-group
control group - Medical Definition
n.
A group used as a standard of comparison in a controlled experiment.
The American Heritage Dictionary of Medicine © 2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"control group." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/control-group>.
APA Style
control group. (n.d.). Retrieved January 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/control-group
Sentence Examples
- Make sure to include a control group in your experiment to ensure your data is valid.
- The control group took a placebo, while the experimental subjects took the drug that was being tested.
- The participants had no way of knowing if they were in the control group or if they were using the experimental drug.
WORDS NEAR control group IN THE DICTIONARY
- control group
- control-joint
- Control key
- control-key