controller

[kuhn-troh-ler]

noun

1. an employee, often an officer, of a business firm who checks expenditures, finances, etc.; comptroller.

2. a person who regulates, directs, or restrains.

3. British Aeronautics.,  a dispatcher.

4. a regulating mechanism; governor.

5. Also called control unit, processor. Computers.,  the key component of a device, as a terminal, printer, or external storage unit, that contains the circuitry necessary to interpret and execute instructions fed into the device.

6. Digital Technology.,  a remote piece of hardware used to direct or control an electronic device.

   a video game controller.

controller

/ kənˈtrəʊlə /

noun

1. a person who directs, regulates, or restrains

2. Also called: comptroller. a business executive or government officer who is responsible for financial planning, control, etc

3. the equipment concerned with controlling the operation of an electrical device

Other Word Forms

• controllership noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of controller¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English countrollour, from Anglo-French countrero(u)llour, Middle French contrerolleur, equivalent to contrerolle “duplicate roll” + -eur, -our, from Latin -ōr- or -ātōr- noun suffixes; control, -or ², -ator

Example Sentences

“So my message to the air-traffic controllers who work for DOT is: ‘Show up for work.

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Air traffic controllers are required to work without pay during the shutdown.

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Same goes for the two sets of rotary controllers serving the climate and audio systems.

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Aside from staffing inadequacies, controllers have warned that antiquated technology has made their jobs more challenging.

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Scott Murphy, vice president, controller, exercised an option to acquire 2,860 shares in two separate transactions on Sept. 24, according to a Form 4 External link filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Related Words

• authority 
• bureaucrat 
• chief 
• commander 
• custodian 
• dean 
• director 
• executive 
• head 
• inspector 
• judge 
• leader 
• manager 
• minister 
• officer 
• official 
• organizer 
• superintendent 
• supervisor