controlled
Americanadjective
-
held in check; curbed.
poorly controlled anger.
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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.
"Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government," he wrote.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
"It allows for operations at very low altitudes -- it is controlled by a signal from space, bypassing the radio horizon and the Earth's curvature -- factors that otherwise limit ground-based remote control signals."
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
CVS entered an agreement with the DEA requiring it to establish a hotline to report suspected illegal dispensing of controlled substances.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Their experiments demonstrate that carefully prepared light can be controlled through its own internal geometry, offering a new approach to manipulating how light spins and twists.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Moreover, he saw that the Italian military forces, particularly those he would have to use, were controlled by those who had reason to fear the Pope’s greatness.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
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.
