nocebo

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no·ce·bo / nəˈsēbō/ • n. (pl. -bos) a psychological or psychosomatic factor that engenders or exacerbates an illness. PHRASES: nocebo effect a detrimental effect on health produced by psychological or psychosomatic factors such as negative expectations of treatment or prognosis, cultural beliefs about illness, personality traits, etc. In particular, the term is associated with adverse effects reported after the administration of a placebo.