control experiment

noun

plural control experiments
: an experiment in which all variable factors have been kept constant and which is used as a standard of comparison to the experimental component in a controlled experiment

Examples of control experiment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The lab uses the microbes to study what happens to DNA during cell division, but even in the control experiments, none of the yeast survived. Bymolly Herring, science.org, 31 July 2024 In a control experiment using OpenAI’s GPT-2 text generator first released in 2019 to teach GPT-4, the more recent system became less capable and similar to the inferior system. Will Knight, WIRED, 14 Dec. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of control experiment was in 1848

Dictionary Entries Near control experiment

Cite this Entry

“Control experiment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/control%20experiment. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

control experiment

noun
: an experiment in which all variable factors have been kept constant and which is used as a standard of comparison to the experiment component in a controlled experiment
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