double-blind

American  

[duhb-uhl-blahynd] / ˈdʌb əlˈblaɪnd /

adjective

1. of or relating to an experiment or clinical trial in which neither the subjects nor the researchers know which subjects are receiving the active medication, treatment, etc., and which are not: a technique for eliminating subjective bias from the test results.

---

double-blind British  

adjective

1. of or relating to an experiment to discover reactions to certain commodities, drugs, etc, in which neither the experimenters nor the subjects know the particulars of the test items during the experiments Compare single-blind

---

Etymology

Origin of double-blind

First recorded in 1935–40

Compare meaning

How does double-blind compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• single-blind vs. double-blind

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

double-blind

Back in 2005, researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 46 patients with ulcerative colitis.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

Dr. Prasad demanded that they conduct nothing less than double-blind randomized controlled trials in diseases for which such trials would be unethical or next to impossible because of their rarity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026

In minutes from the FDA’s Type A meeting—a meeting to discuss stalled development programs—the agency recommended uniQure conduct a further randomized, double-blind, sham surgery-controlled study, the company said.

From Barron's ● Mar. 2, 2026

The studies were double-blind, meaning neither participants nor researchers knew who received statins or who received the comparison treatment, reducing the risk of bias.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 15, 2026

Because it’s a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, if Jose is accepted, Tarantino will not know whether or not her dog is receiving the drug.

From Slate ● Apr. 23, 2025