control
Americanverb (used with object)
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controls,
present (3rd person singular)
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controlled,
past participle, past
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controlling
present participle
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to exercise restraint or direction over; dominate: command.
The car is difficult to control at high speeds.
That zone is controlled by enemy troops.
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to hold in check; curb.
to control a horse;
to control one's emotions.
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to test or verify (a scientific experiment) by a parallel experiment or other standard of comparison.
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to eliminate or prevent the flourishing or spread of.
to control a forest fire.
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Biology. (of an organism) to initiate an internal response to external stimuli.
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Obsolete. to check or regulate (transactions), originally by means of a duplicate register.
noun
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controls
plural
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the act or power of controlling; regulation; domination or command.
Who's in control here?
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the situation of being under the regulation, domination, or command of another.
The car is out of control.
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check or restraint.
Her anger is under control.
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a legal or official means of regulation or restraint.
to institute wage and price controls.
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Statistics. control variable.
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a person who acts as a check; controller.
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a device for regulating and guiding a machine, as a motor or airplane.
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controls, a coordinated arrangement of such devices.
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prevention of the flourishing or spread of something undesirable.
rodent control.
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Biology. an organism’s ability to initiate an internal response to external stimuli (distinguished from regulation).
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Baseball. the ability of a pitcher to throw the ball into the strike zone consistently.
The rookie pitcher has great power but no control.
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Philately. any device printed on a postage or revenue stamp to authenticate it as a government issue or to identify it for bookkeeping purposes.
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a spiritual agency believed to assist a medium at a séance.
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the supervisor to whom an espionage agent reports when in the field.
verb phrase
verb
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to command, direct, or rule
to control a country
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to check, limit, curb, or regulate; restrain
to control one's emotions
to control a fire
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to regulate or operate (a machine)
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to verify (a scientific experiment) by conducting a parallel experiment in which the variable being investigated is held constant or is compared with a standard
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to regulate (financial affairs)
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to examine and verify (financial accounts)
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to restrict or regulate the authorized supply of (certain substances, such as drugs)
noun
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power to direct or determine
under control
out of control
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a means of regulation or restraint; curb; check
a frontier control
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(often plural) a device or mechanism for operating a car, aircraft, etc
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a standard of comparison used in a statistical analysis or scientific experiment
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a device that regulates the operation of a machine. A dynamic control is one that incorporates a governor so that it responds to the output of the machine it regulates
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( as modifier )
control panel
control room
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spiritualism an agency believed to assist the medium in a séance
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Also called: control mark. a letter, or letter and number, printed on a sheet of postage stamps, indicating authenticity, date, and series of issue
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one of a number of checkpoints on a car rally, orienteering course, etc, where competitors check in and their time, performance, etc, is recorded
Usage
What does control mean? To control is to dominate or command something or someone, as in Tomas showed excellent control of his hand several weeks after his surgery. As a noun, control can refer to the act of controlling, as in I can’t stand it—my parents have total control over my life!To control is also to restrain or keep in check, as in Toddlers are not known for control over their emotions. Control can also refer to keeping something in check. When you keep your emotions under control, you still feel them but you don’t let them overwhelm you. To control can also mean to eliminate the spread of something, such as with a fire or an illness. In statistics, to control for means to compare only like data to reduce the number of variables in the comparison. Example: Who has control of the lights for tonight’s show?
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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controllabilitynoun
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controllablenessnoun
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precontrolnoun
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supercontrolnoun
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overcontrolverb (used with object)
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subcontrolverb (used with object)
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controllableadjective
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controllessadjective
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noncontrollableadjective
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noncontrolledadjective
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noncontrollingadjective
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quasi-controlledadjective
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quasi-controllingadjective
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uncontrolledadjective
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uncontrollingadjective
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well-controlledadjective
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controllablyadverb
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controllinglyadverb
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noncontrollablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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controlsimple
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controlssimple
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have controlledperfect
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has controlledperfect
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am controllingprogressive
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are controllingprogressive
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is controllingprogressive
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have been controllingperfect progressive
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has been controllingperfect progressive
Past
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controlledsimple
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had controlledperfect
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was controllingprogressive
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were controllingprogressive
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had been controllingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of control
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English co(u)ntrollen (verb), from Anglo-French contreroller “to keep a duplicate account or roll,” derivative of contrerolle (noun); see counter-, roll
Explanation
To have control is to have the power to run something in an orderly way. A skillful teacher maintains control over students who might otherwise waste time or be disruptive. A control can also be a device used to operate a machine, like the remote control for a television. The control in an experiment is the group that gets left alone so scientists can compare "before and after" changes in other groups. The verb control means "to be in charge." If you're a group's treasurer, you control its finances. It can also mean "hold back." You might need to control your hyperactive puppy when the mail carrier comes around.
Vocabulary lists containing control
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The Scientific Method
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The ACT Science Test: The Scientific Method
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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.
See Examples For:
Baldoni denied wrongdoing and accused Lively of concocting false allegations as part of an effort to wrest creative control of the film.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Opponents say Iceland's sovereignty and control over "priceless" fishing waters are at stake, and would rather continue going it alone.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The top four candidates in the Senate race, eligible to appear on the fall ballot, include two Dan Sullivans, meaning control of Congress could turn on voter confusion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
The settlement was concluded in the context of negotiations for the transfer of Hong Kong out of British control.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
His opponents believe in "localized function"; that is, they believe that the brain is divided into specific areas that control specific things.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
“Every agent needs a trusted identity and clear controls over what it can access and do,” McKinnon said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
“States now have a negotiated menu of age assurance, time limits, nighttime restrictions, parental controls, auditing, and monetary relief that they can put on the table,” Engstrom told me.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
Nepal police have reported 157 bodies have been found, while China, which controls Tibet, says at least three people have died.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
However, Mosseri couldn't recall if Meta had ever disclosed the percentage of teen accounts that have parental controls turned on.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
When the play was being performed, Violet had watched the light controls carefully, taking mental notes in case these devices came in handy for an invention.
From "The Bad Beginning" by Lemony Snicket
Together with specialized ground support equipment, the fairing also keeps the telescope in a controlled environment as teams move it between facilities.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
The SDF amassed around 100,000 fighters at its peak, both Kurds and Arabs, and controlled swathes of Syria's oil-rich north and northeast.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
That sounds a lot like what Dodgers president Stan Kasten said Friday, amid a federal investigation into alleged financial improprieties among insurance companies controlled by Dodgers owner Mark Walter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
Laura Cooper takes us inside the rift among some family members who have controlled the company for more than 150 years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Three hundred years ago, everybody "knew" that anger was controlled by the spleen.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
"If somebody is controlling, when that creeps in, it's probably going to be very difficult to get out of that situation," said Sean.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
Two weeks ago, Walter announced an agreement to sell controlling interest in the Lakers at a $12.5-billion valuation, the cash from which could help repay loans under scrutiny.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026
“Why is IT and the administration controlling how I teach successful writing instruction?”
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
Growing evidence also points to a possible role for the gut microbiome in controlling muscle mass and function.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
The weak force engages in more miscellaneous tasks, mostly to do with controlling the rates of certain sorts of radioactive decay.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
