placebo
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placebo
A sham treatment or dummy medication without an active ingredient, used as a control in medical studies. It can nevertheless trigger a positive effect (placebo effect) through the patient's expectation.
Ein Teil der Studienteilnehmer erhielt das echte Medikament, der andere Teil ein Placebo.
Some of the study participants received the real medication, while the others received a placebo.
This word is a technical term from medicine and scientific research. In everyday life, it is used rarely, except when talking about medical studies or the placebo effect.
In der Studie wurde die Wirksamkeit des Medikaments gegen ein Placebo getestet.
In the study, the effectiveness of the medication was tested against a placebo.
A very common and important combination is 'der Placebo-Effekt' (the placebo effect). This describes the positive effect that arises solely through the patient's expectation, even if the medication contains no active ingredient.
Der Placebo-Effekt zeigt, wie stark die Psyche die körperliche Gesundheit beeinflussen kann.
The placebo effect shows how strongly the mind can influence physical health.
Common verbs used with 'Placebo' are 'ein Placebo erhalten' (to receive a placebo), 'ein Placebo bekommen' (to get a placebo), or 'jemandem ein Placebo verabreichen' (to administer a placebo to someone).
Die Kontrollgruppe der Studie erhielt nur ein Placebo.
The study's control group received only a placebo.
medication
'das Medikament' and 'das Placebo' can both look like a treatment and are used in medicine. The important difference is the active ingredient: a Medikament contains a substance intended to cure, relieve, or prevent symptoms. A Placebo contains no real active ingredient and is often used in studies to test the effect of a real medication. Even so, someone may feel better because of their expectations. Learners may confuse the words because a Placebo can look like a Medikament. For a real medicine, you say 'Medikament'; for a dummy medication without an active ingredient, 'Placebo'.
In der Studie bekam eine Gruppe ein Placebo ohne Wirkstoff.
In the study, one group received a placebo without an active ingredient.
Die Ärztin erklärt mir, wann ich das Medikament einnehmen soll.
The doctor explains to me when I should take the medication.