controller

noun

con·​trol·​ler kən-ˈtrō-lər  ˈkän-ˌtrō- 

1

a

: comptroller sense 1

b

: comptroller sense 2

c

: the chief accounting officer of a business enterprise or an institution (such as a college)

2

a

: one that controls or has power or authority to control

air traffic controller

b

: control sense 3a

controllership

kən-ˈtrō-lər-ˌship 

ˈkän-ˌtrō-

noun

Synonyms of controller

• regulator
• control

Examples of controller in a Sentence

the controllers for the video game system seem fairly well designed

Recent Examples on the Web

Eventually, nearly an hour and a half after splashdown, the team helped the astronauts out of the toasty Orion capsule, to the cheers of dozens of flight controllers in Mission Control. —Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2026

However, mission controllers have said that’s not too big of a concern. —Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026

Minutes before, a six-minute communications blackout with mission controllers made for a nail-biting finish to the mission as the capsule plunged through Earth’s atmosphere. —Denise Chow, NBC news, 11 Apr. 2026

This bundle includes the core components needed to start playing immediately, including the console, dock, HDMI cable, and red and blue Joy-Con controllers. —Stackcommerce Team, PC Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English countreroller, from Anglo-French contreroulur, from contreroule

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing controller

• air traffic controller
• forward air controller

Rhymes for controller

• bipolar
• comptroller
• dipolar
• gaoler
• nonpolar
• premolar
• ambipolar
• areolar
• bronchiolar
• circumpolar
• equimolar
• monopolar

Kids Definition

controller

noun

con·​trol·​ler kən-ˈtrō-lər  ˈkän-ˌtrō-lər 

1

: the chief accounting officer of a business or institution

2

: a person who controls

an air traffic controller

3

: control entry 2 sense 3a

Legal Definition

controller

noun

con·​trol·​ler kən-ˈtrō-lər, ˈkän-ˌtrō- 

: comptroller