SINCE 1828
control
verb
con·trol
| \ kən-ˈtrōl
\
\
controlled;
controlling
Definition of control
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
archaic
: to check, test, or verify by evidence or experiments
b
: to incorporate suitable controls in
a controlled experiment
: to incorporate controls in an experiment or study
—used with for control for socioeconomic differences
Definition of control (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: an act or instance of controlling
also
: power or authority to guide or manage
He took control of the family business.
b
: skill in the use of a tool, instrument, technique, or artistic medium
a singer's control of her voice
c
: the regulation of economic activity especially by government directive
—usually used in plural price controlsrent controls
d
: the ability of a baseball pitcher to control the location of a pitch within the strike zone
3
: one that controls: such as
a(1)
: an experiment in which the subjects are treated as in a parallel experiment except for omission of the procedure or agent under test and which is used as a standard of comparison in judging experimental effects
— called also control experiment
(2)
: one (such as an organism, culture, or group) that is part of a control
b
: a device or mechanism used to regulate or guide the operation of a machine, apparatus, or system
the controls of the aircraft
c
: an organization that directs a spaceflight
mission control
d
: a personality or spirit believed to actuate the utterances or performances of a spiritualist medium
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Other Words from control
Verb
controllability
\ kən-ˌtrō-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē
\
noun
\
noun
controllable
\ kən-ˈtrō-lə-bəl
\
adjective
\
adjective
controlment
\ kən-ˈtrōl-mənt
\
noun
\
noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for control
Synonyms: Verb
bridle, check, constrain, contain, curb, govern, hold, inhibit, keep, measure, pull in, regulate, rein (in), restrain, rule, tame
Synonyms: Noun
Antonyms: Verb
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Examples of control in a Sentence
Verb
The parents could not control their child. The police controlled the crowd. The small boy could not control the big dog. Her family controls the business. One country controls the whole island. The rebel army now controls nearly half the country. The lights on stage are controlled by this computer. She struggled to control the cart as it rolled before her down the steep, bumpy road. He controlled the volume by turning the radio's knob. A thermostat controls the room's temperature.Noun
The city wanted local control of education. The tribes fought for control over the territory. He took control of the family farm. She hired an accountant to take control of her money. He lost all muscle control in his left arm. The soccer player showed good control of the ball. a teacher with good control of her students The farmer used an organic pest control on his crops. To cut down on competition, the government passed price controls on prescription drugs. The President wants stricter controls on immigration.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Simply put, capitalism is a social and economic system where a country's means of production, trade, and industry is controlled by private companies and owners, as opposed to the state. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "What is Capitalism?," 7 Jan. 2019 The problems are made more acute because so many Hong Kong companies have controlling shareholders. — Mike Bird, WSJ, "A Major Market’s Major Headache: Stocks That Crash Without Warning," 21 Jan. 2019 The deal, to be announced by Monday, is also intended to resolve litigation between Moonves and Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder of both CBS and Viacom, who has been engaged in a back-and-forth with Moonves for months. — Emily Stewart, Vox, "Les Moonves is reportedly out at CBS as more sexual misconduct allegations surface," 9 Sep. 2018 But the company is still struggling to control expenses, including incentive payments for drivers to keep them on the road longer and away from rivals such as Lyft Inc., which is also planning an IPO this year. — Greg Bensinger, WSJ, "Uber Sales Growth Slows Further as IPO Nears," 15 Feb. 2019 Under Oregon law, cities and towns have urban growth boundaries to control urban expansion onto farms and forests. — Andrew Selsky, The Seattle Times, "Oregon aims to tackle homelessness, housing crisis," 11 Feb. 2019 Noise integrates well with system, allowing you to control your music from the menu bar. — Scott Gilbertson, Ars Technica, "A tour of elementary OS, perhaps the Linux world’s best hope for the mainstream," 28 Dec. 2018 Samsung announced a new feature for its 2019 TVs today that will allow people to control various devices, like PCs, tablets, and smartphones, from their TVs. — Ashley Carman, The Verge, "Samsung’s 2019 TVs will support input devices, like keyboards and mice for your PC," 27 Dec. 2018 What better way to control the news cycle than by purchasing the only outlet for news in town? — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "A Comprehensive List of All of Hiram Lodge's Schemes on "Riverdale"," 13 Dec. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The Swedish actress seems preternaturally at ease and visibly in control, often calling the shots—politely—to the stunt coordinators and photography crew from midair. — Harper's BAZAAR, "Alicia Vikander Leaps to New Heights—in Life and Fashion," 13 Mar. 2019 Still that thin whisper in my antenna sends instructions, the engineers in mission control eking out another year, another month, another hour of discovery. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The Tourist's Guide to Space," 12 Mar. 2019 Unfortunately, for people like me with no self-control, the retail giant just launched a new online marketplace, called Target + (Target Plus), giving you a whole new way to get your shop on. — Elizabeth Gulino, House Beautiful, "Target's New Marketplace Will Be Selling a Lot More Online-Exclusive Home Decor," 25 Feb. 2019 This can help soothe any pain, dial down redness and keep scabbing under control. — Hannah Orenstein, Seventeen, ""I Have a Cold Sore. Does That Mean I Have Herpes?"," 22 Feb. 2019 The controls are beautifully integrated in the design. — Monique Valeris, ELLE Decor, "The Museum of Modern Art's Upcoming 'Value of Good Design' Exhibit is Not One to Miss," 7 Feb. 2019 As he's also set to write the script, Zemeckis will have full control over the contours of the plot. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Anne Hathaway Is Starring in a Remake of Roald Dahl's The Witches," 18 Jan. 2019 Back in the 1990s, the attorney general had direct control over immigration enforcement. — Dara Lind, Vox, "William Barr hearing: attorney general nominee’s immigration record aligns with Trump’s," 16 Jan. 2019 Not only does access to birth control help people take more control over their reproductive lives, contraception is helpful for managing many medical issues, SELF wrote previously. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "A Federal Judge Blocked the Trump Administration's New Birth Control Rules in 13 States and D.C.," 14 Jan. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'control.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for control
control
verb
English Language Learners Definition of control
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to direct the behavior of (a person or animal) : to cause (a person or animal) to do what you want
: to have power over (something)
: to direct the actions or function of (something) : to cause (something) to act or function in a certain way
control
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of control (Entry 2 of 2)
: the power to make decisions about how something is managed or done
: the ability to direct the actions of someone or something
: an action, method, or law that limits the amount or growth of something
See the full definition for control in the English Language Learners Dictionary
control
verb
con·trol
| \ kən-ˈtrōl
\
\
controlled;
controlling
Kids Definition of control
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to have power over
"Ah, gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavors…"— Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
2
: to direct the actions or behavior of
Police can control a crowd.
3
: to keep within bounds : restrain
Learn to control your temper.
4
: to direct the function of
How do you control this machine?
control
nounKids Definition of control (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: the power or authority to manage
The city wanted local control of education.
2
: ability to keep within bounds or direct the operation of
The fire is out of control. He lost control of the car.
3
: self-restraint
I lost control and started yelling.
4
: regulation sense 2
price controls
5
: a device used to start, stop, or change the operation of a machine or system
a radio control
6
: something that is not treated or exposed to testing in an experiment in order to serve as a comparison to others that have undergone treatment or exposure
control
verb
con·trol
| \ kən-ˈtrōl
\
\
controlled;
controlling
Medical Definition of control
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: to incorporate suitable controls in
a controlled experiment
2
: to reduce the incidence or severity of especially to innocuous levels
control an insect population a vaccine for controlling outbreaks of cholera
: to incorporate controls in an experiment or study
—used with for
failure to control for the difference in the rate of smoking between the two groups— Howard Bauchner et al
control
nounMedical Definition of control (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: an act or instance of controlling something
control of acute intermittent porphyria
2
: one that is used in controlling something: as
a
: an experiment in which the subjects are treated as in a parallel experiment except for omission of the procedure or agent under test and which is used as a standard of comparison in judging experimental effects
— called also control experiment
b
: one (as an organism, culture, or group) that is part of a control
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control
transitive verb
con·trol
controlled;
controlling
Legal Definition of control
1
: to exercise restraining or directing influence over especially by law
2
: to have power or authority over
precedent controls the outcome in this case
3
: to have controlling interest in
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