controller
Americannoun
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controllers
plural
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an employee, often an officer, of a business firm who checks expenditures, finances, etc.; comptroller.
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a person who regulates, directs, or restrains.
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British Aeronautics. a dispatcher.
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a regulating mechanism; governor.
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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.
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Digital Technology. a remote piece of hardware used to direct or control an electronic device.
a video game controller.
noun
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a person who directs, regulates, or restrains
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Also called: comptroller. a business executive or government officer who is responsible for financial planning, control, etc
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the equipment concerned with controlling the operation of an electrical device
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of controller
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; see control, -or 2, -ator
Explanation
The device that's used to operate a tool or machine is a controller. When you play video games, you move your character around on screen using a joystick or controller. A controller is any object or person that controls something. An air traffic controller is a person who usually works in a control tower at an airport and is in charge of monitoring and directing pilots to make sure planes take off and land safely. Another kind of human controller, also known as a comptroller, is the person in charge of accounting and finances at a business or organization. These controllers have the important job of being in control of the money.
Vocabulary lists containing controller
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:
After her death was announced, the then-BBC director general Tim Davie paid tribute to her as "a broadcasting icon", while Radio 4 controller Mohit Bakaya described her as "warm, fearless and beloved by listeners".
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
James argues that this explanation is more parsimonious than assuming the brain contains what he calls "a higher-level, central controller that monitors and regulates sensory and motor processes."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
In the control room, the map of Greece is divided into 10 sectors, each managed by a controller assisted by an aide.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
American said both regional jets’ crews followed controller clearances and that the flights landed safely.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
I shake my head and put down my controller.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
The process to terminate controllers can be lengthy and result in lighter punishments or reversals, as has happened in some cases this year, people familiar with the matter said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
It found one of the most egregious errors occurred when air traffic controllers gave clearance to the fire truck crew to cross the runway while the jet was approaching.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
The FAA is working to fire the two controllers who left their posts about an hour before their shifts ended, sources said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Two air traffic controllers left work early ahead of a deadly collision between an Air Canada jet and a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport in March, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
They thumbed controllers and tried to blast Kyle out of the sky.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
