control

1 of 2

verb

con·​trol kən-ˈtrōl 

controlled; controlling

transitive verb

1

a

: to exercise restraining or directing influence over : regulate

control one's anger

b

: to have power over : rule

A single company controls the industry.

c

: to reduce the incidence or severity of especially to innocuous levels

control an insect population

control a disease

2

a

: to incorporate suitable controls in

a controlled test

see also controlled experiment

b

archaic : to check, test, or verify by evidence or experiments

intransitive verb

: to incorporate controls in an experiment or study

—used with for

control for socioeconomic differences

controllability

kən-ˌtrō-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

controllable

kən-ˈtrō-lə-bəl 

adjective

controlment

kən-ˈtrōl-mənt 

noun

controllability

2 of 2

noun

con·​trol·​la·​bil·​i·​ty kən-ˌtrō-lə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

plural -es

: the quality or state of being controllable

the controllability of forest fires

Synonyms of control

Verb

• regulate
• keep
• contain
• curb
• restrain
• measure

Choose the Right Synonym for control

conduct, manage, control, direct mean to use one's powers to lead, guide, or dominate.

conduct implies taking responsibility for the acts and achievements of a group.

conducted negotiations

manage implies direct handling and manipulating or maneuvering toward a desired result.

manages a meat market

control implies a regulating or restraining in order to keep within bounds or on a course.

controlling his appetite

direct implies constant guiding and regulating so as to achieve smooth operation.

directs the store's day-to-day business

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Emergency physicians do not control inpatient staffing, discharge bottlenecks, rehabilitation placement delays, or bed availability, yet emergency departments absorb the consequences when hospitals operate beyond capacity. —Letters To The Editor, Hartford Courant, 6 June 2026

Officials say the fencing is used at all official FIFA matches and is designed to help control access points. —Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 6 June 2026

The parasympathetic nervous system is the part of your autonomic nervous system that controls involuntary bodily functions. —Mélanie Defouilloy, Vogue, 6 June 2026

The mountainous region had been controlled for decades by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia, part of a long conflict between the neighboring countries. —ABC News, 6 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English countrollen, from Anglo-French contrerouler, from contreroule copy of an account, audit, from Medieval Latin contrarotulus, from Latin contra- + Medieval Latin rotulus roll — more at roll

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing control

• adaptive cruise control
• air traffic control
• animal control
• ball control
• beyond one's control
• biological control
• birth control
• birth-control pill
• circumstances beyond someone's control
• control experiment
• control freak
• control key
• control rod
• control surface
• cruise control
• damage control
• executive control
• fire control
• gun control
• hold/control the purse strings
• in control
• in control of
• in the control of
• in/under someone's control
• lose all self-control
• mission control
• production control
• quality control
• radar cruise control
• remote control
• rent control
• self-control
• spin control
• spin out of control
• under control
• under the control of

Rhymes for control

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol
• flagpole

Kids Definition

control

1 of 2 verb

con·​trol kən-ˈtrōl 

controlled; controlling

1

a

: to keep within limits : restrain

control your temper

b

: to direct the action of

control a plane

2

: to have power over : rule

3

: to reduce the number of individuals or cases especially to a level that is not dangerous

control insects

control a disease

controllability

-ˌtrō-lə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

controllable

-ˈtrō-lə-bəl 

adjective

control

2 of 2 noun

1

: the power or authority to control

2

: ability to control

the car went out of control

keep control of a situation

3

a

: a means for controlling

the controls of an airplane

price controls

b

: an organization that directs a flight beyond the earth's atmosphere

mission control

4

a

: control experiment

b

: one (as an organism or group) that is part of a control experiment and is used as a standard of comparison

5

: reduction in or regulation of the number of individuals or cases in an area

disease control

Medical Definition

control

1 of 2 verb

con·​trol kən-ˈtrōl 

controlled; controlling

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: 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

2 of 2 noun

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

Legal Definition

control

transitive verb

con·​trol

controlled; controlling

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

control noun