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

• control
• regulator

Examples of controller in a Sentence

the controllers for the video game system seem fairly well designed

Recent Examples on the Web

Across the country, controller shortages have become untenable, with no quick fixes in sight. —Aaron Krolik, New York Times, 16 May 2025

Delays and cancellations at the airport have persisted since the initial outage on April 28 when controllers temporarily lost radar and radio communications with aircraft. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 16 May 2025

Flight schedules were thrown into chaos, and several controllers took trauma leave. —Kevin Sabet, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025

There has also been a series of near misses and runway incursions and, over the past two weeks, controllers overseeing traffic at Newark Liberty International Airport lost radar communications with airplanes on three separate occasions. —Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025

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