double-blind

IPA/ˌdʌbl ˈblaɪnd/
IPA/ˌdʌbl ˈblaɪnd/

double-blind — adjective

1. A method used in medical research where neither the people taking part nor the s

1.形容詞B2
釋義

A method used in medical research where neither the people taking part nor the scientists running the study know which participants receive the real treatment and which receive a placebo, so that personal expectations do not affect the results.

例句

The research team designed a double-blind study to test the new treatment for eczema.

attributive: double-blind study

In a double-blind vaccine trial, Shirin's team did not know who got the real dose.

attributive: double-blind trial of [medicine]

同義詞
  • masked

    Common alternative term in clinical trial protocols; 'double-masked' is sometimes preferred in ophthalmology research to avoid the ableist connotation of 'blind'.

  • placebo-controlled

    Narrower in meaning — specifies that the control group receives a placebo, whereas double-blind describes only the allocation concealment.

反義詞
  • open-label

    The opposite design where both researchers and participants know exactly which treatment is being given.

  • single-blind

    Only the participants are unaware of their group; the researchers know who receives what.

文法句型

double-blind + noun (study/trial/test/experiment)

be + double-blind

用法筆記

Used almost exclusively in academic or medical research writing and reporting. In everyday conversation, the concept is more commonly explained ('no one knew who got the real drug') rather than named directly. Do not confuse with single-blind, where only the participants are kept unaware.

常見錯誤

❌The study used a double-blind interview.
✅The study used a double-blind design.
💡'double-blind' modifies research terms like 'study', 'trial', or 'test', not general nouns like 'interview'.
❌In a double-blind study, the patients did not know which drug they received.
✅In a double-blind study, neither the patients nor the doctors knew which drug the patients received.
💡The first sentence describes a single-blind study; the key difference is that in double-blind, both parties are unaware.