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.
Sunshine Silver Mining & Refining, controlled by billionaire Thomas S. Kaplan, raised $270 million in an IPO to restart the historic Sunshine mine.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Pasadena officials are warning that residents may hear helicopters, controlled explosions and simulated weapons fire as the U.S. military conducts a training exercise in the northeast area of the city Wednesday night.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
The resulting vapor then traveled through a tube in which temperatures could be carefully controlled as the material cooled.
From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026
Turkish media however quoted official sources as saying that water authorities carried out "controlled water releases" from the Ataturk Dam after water levels rose due to heavy rainfall in recent months.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
Most cases of sabotage were not reported in our controlled press, but rumors abounded.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
