placebic

comparative more placebic · superlative most placebic

1. Functioning as a placebo.

   Many millions of dollars are expended on drugs, diagnostic tests, and psychotherapies of a placebic nature.

   2005, Michael Palmer, Moral Problems in Medicine, page 135

   2 more examples

   In the request-only condition, the experimenter said simply 'Excuse me, I have 5 (20) copies. May I use the xerox machine?' In the placebic information condition, this was followed by the phrase 'because I need to make copies'. In the real information condition, the reason offered in support was 'because I am in a rush'.

   1986, J. Richard Eiser, Social psychology: attitude, cognition, and social behavior, page 227

   He could invent a fictional restaurant for you to bite your burger at but any fictional restaurant would be, like Nomenex, a worthless simulant or inconcinne imitation, a placebic generic.

   2012, Joshua Cohen, Four New Messages