control group
Say it: kun-TROHL group /kənˈtrəʊl ɡruːp/ · noun
What “control group” means
The comparison group that doesn't receive the treatment being tested.
More precisely: In an experiment, the group that doesn't get the treatment, used for comparison.
Example: “Without a control group, you can't tell if the app helped or everyone just improved anyway.”
When to use it
In experiments, for the group used to show what happens without the tested treatment, making results easier to compare.
Similar words
comparison group, baseline
Quick check
A gardener gives fertiliser to some seedlings and only water to the others, comparing their growth. The water-only seedlings form…
the treatment group or the control group?
Show the answer
the control group
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