controlled
Americanadjective
-
held in check; curbed.
poorly controlled anger.
-
carefully regulated, tested, or verified.
a controlled experiment.
-
(of a drug) restricted by law as to possession and use.
Morphine is a controlled drug.
Etymology
Origin of controlled
First recorded in 1580–90; control ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )
Explanation
Something that's controlled is kept in check or restrained. Your controlled laughter in math class won't get you in trouble, because it's muted and calm. Some people really blow their stacks when they get angry, while others express a controlled anger, calmly explaining their frustration. The ability to keep your emotions controlled is a useful one. A different meaning of controlled is "restricted by law," — many medications and drugs are classified as "controlled substances. The root of both controlled and control is the Latin contrarotulus, "a register, counter, or record of something."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The drones are not remotely controlled but are overseen by on-site flight monitors who track airspace and work with local airports.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 29, 2026
Cameras may help solve serious crimes, but their use should be narrowly controlled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
This contrasts with closed-source AI, which is designed to be controlled and private.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
The analysis used data from DIETFITS, a randomized controlled trial involving more than 600 adults who followed either a healthy low-carb diet or a healthy low-fat diet for one year.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
All the springboks playing baseball, the pandas who controlled the big wooden slides, even the nerdy pangolins who played D&D in the shade of the library.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
