controlled

American  

[kuhn-trohld] / kənˈtroʊld /

adjective

1. held in check; curbed.

   poorly controlled anger.

2. carefully regulated, tested, or verified.

   a controlled experiment.

3. (of a drug) restricted by law as to possession and use.

   Morphine is a controlled drug.

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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

Another partner, Emily, not her real name, says Adusah controlled every aspect of her life.

From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026

On Saturday, Iran continued to insist on state media that its armed forces controlled the strategic waterway.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Republicans have controlled the lower chamber since 2003 and currently hold 88 of its 150 seats.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

BET inhibitors were designed to block a shared feature that all BET proteins use to attach to chromatin, the tightly packed structure of DNA and proteins where genes are stored and controlled.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

American military maps showed this region of South Vietnam in different colors: one color for land controlled by the South Vietnamese government, another for territory controlled by the Viet Cong.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• measured
• ordered
• orderly
• organized
• structured
• supervised