Control (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

verb (used with object), con·trolled, con·trol·ling.
  1. to exercise restraint or direction over; dominate: command: The car is difficult to control at high speeds.That zone is controlled by enemy troops.
  2. to hold in check; curb: to control a horse;to control one's emotions.
  3. to test or verify (a scientific experiment) by a parallel experiment or other standard of comparison.
  4. to eliminate or prevent the flourishing or spread of: to control a forest fire.
  5. (of an organism) to initiate an internal response to external stimuli.
  6. to check or regulate (transactions), originally by means of a duplicate register.
noun
  1. the act or power of controlling; regulation; domination or command: Who's in control here?
  2. the situation of being under the regulation, domination, or command of another: The car is out of control.
  3. check or restraint: Her anger is under control.
  4. a legal or official means of regulation or restraint: to institute wage and price controls.
  5. control variable (def. 1).
  6. a person who acts as a check; controller.
  7. a device for regulating and guiding a machine, as a motor or airplane.
  8. a coordinated arrangement of such devices.
  9. prevention of the flourishing or spread of something undesirable: rodent control.
  10. an organism’s ability to initiate an internal response to external stimuli (distinguished from regulation).
  11. the ability of a pitcher to throw the ball into the strike zone consistently: The rookie pitcher has great power but no control.
  12. any device printed on a postage or revenue stamp to authenticate it as a government issue or to identify it for bookkeeping purposes.
  13. a spiritual agency believed to assist a medium at a séance.
  14. the supervisor to whom an espionage agent reports when in the field.
Verb Phrases
  1. to account for (variables in an analysis) by limiting the data under consideration to a comparison of like things: to control for demographic factors.
verb -trols, -trolling or -trolled (tr)
  1. to command, direct, or rule
  2. to check, limit, curb, or regulate; restrain
  3. to regulate or operate (a machine)
  4. to verify (a scientific experiment) by conducting a parallel experiment in which the variable being investigated is held constant or is compared with a standard
    • to regulate (financial affairs)
    • to examine and verify (financial accounts)
  5. to restrict or regulate the authorized supply of (certain substances, such as drugs)
noun
  1. power to direct or determine
  2. a means of regulation or restraint; curb; check
  3. a device or mechanism for operating a car, aircraft, etc
  4. a standard of comparison used in a statistical analysis or scientific experiment
    • a device that regulates the operation of a machine. A dynamic control is one that incorporates a governor so that it responds to the output of the machine it regulates
    • (as modifier)
  5. an agency believed to assist the medium in a séance
  6. a letter, or letter and number, printed on a sheet of postage stamps, indicating authenticity, date, and series of issue
  7. one of a number of checkpoints on a car rally, orienteering course, etc, where competitors check in and their time, performance, etc, is recorded
    Control (noun) Definition, Meaning & Examples

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