panacea

> panacea and placebo
panacea and placebo are liable to be confused. Panacea means "a universal remedy for all ills and troubles", as in "The new government does not have a panacea for the country's problems". It is often used loosely to mean any remedy for any problem, as in "She thinks that a holiday will be a panacea for his unhappiness". Panacea is pronounced pan-a-see-a. Placebo refers to "a supposed medication that is just a harmless substance given to a patient as part of a drugs trial etc", as in "She was convinced the pills were curing her headaches but the doctor has prescribed her a placebo". It is pronounced pla-see-bo.