clinical trial

noun

: a scientifically controlled study of the safety and effectiveness of a therapeutic agent (such as a drug or vaccine) using consenting human subjects

Examples of clinical trial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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At 16 weeks pregnant, Hansen is part of a phase three clinical trial for a new medication to prevent antibodies in the mother's blood from attacking the fetus' blood. Nicole Villalpando, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025 Lifestyle changes can slow the downturn for people in their 60s and 70s, researchers concluded after conducting a large clinical trial. Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 28 July 2025 In a recent 72-week clinical trial published in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers compared the safety and efficacy of tirzepatide (Zepbound) and semaglutide (Wegovy). Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2025 There are also others currently undergoing the clinical trial process, such as Moderna's experimental mRNA-4157 cancer vaccine, which aims to prevent the recurrence of melanoma and lung cancer and has progressed to Phase 3 in its clinical trials. Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for clinical trial

Word History

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of clinical trial was in 1946

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Cite this Entry

“Clinical trial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clinical%20trial. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.

Medical Definition

clinical trial

noun
: a scientifically controlled study of the safety and effectiveness of a therapeutic agent (as a drug or vaccine) using consenting human subjects

More from Merriam-Webster on clinical trial

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