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controlled experiment

American  

noun

  1. an experiment or trial that uses controls, usually separating the subjects into one or more control groups and experimental groups.


Etymology

Origin of controlled experiment

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Because researchers already know the rocket's exact size, speed and point of impact, this collision turns from being a random accident into a rare, controlled experiment.

From BBC Aug. 5, 2026

That sets the party up for a controlled experiment come November.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 22, 2026

To isolate the issue, Duffy and Li designed a controlled experiment with people ages 45 to 55.

From MarketWatch Apr. 16, 2026

To explore this process, researchers conducted a carefully controlled experiment in healthy volunteers.

From Science Daily Feb. 19, 2026

In a perfect world, an economist could run a controlled experiment just as a physicist or a biologist does: setting up two samples, randomly manipulating one of them, and measuring the effect.

From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt

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