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.
Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province, is currently controlled by rebels from the AFC-M23 group, who say they are creating an Ebola response team.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
OpenAI later turned its for-profit business into a public-benefit corporation, known as a B Corp, controlled by its nonprofit arm.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
The pair were ultimately accused of transferring $350 million out of Venezuela either to the US or through the US to foreign accounts they owned or controlled.
From Barron's • May 17, 2026
“These will be small, expensive and tightly controlled, more akin to early Antarctic expeditions than traditional tourism,” he says.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026
The Viet Cong controlled the village down the road, the man explained.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
