controllable

UK: /kənˈtrəʊləbl/

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

con•trol /kənˈtroʊl/   v., -trolled, -trol•ling, n. 
v. [~ + object]

1. to regulate, govern, or command;
   manage:
   The pilot controlled the plane from the cockpit.
2. to hold (something) in check;
   hold (something) back:
   to control one's emotions.
3. to prevent the spread of:
   The firefighters worked to control the forest fire.

n. 

4. the act or power of controlling:
   [uncountable] Who has control over the newspaper now?
5. [uncountable] check or restraint:
   My anger was under control.
6. [countable] a person who acts as a check;
   controller.
7. Mechanical Engineering controls, [plural] an arrangement of devices, such as switches, for regulating or directing the operation of a machine:
   The controls are easy to understand and within easy reach of the driver.

Idioms

8. at the controls, in charge of;
   managing;
   directing:
   Is anyone at the controls at headquarters?

con•trol•la•ble, adj.: 

At this point the problem is still controllable.

con•trol•la•bly, adv. 
con•trol•ling, adj. [before a noun]

has a controlling interest in the company.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

con•trol  (kən trōl′), v., -trolled, -trol•ling, n. 
v.t. 

1. to exercise restraint or direction over;
   dominate;
   command.
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. [Obs.] to check or regulate (transactions), originally by means of a duplicate register.

n. 

6. the act or power of controlling;
   regulation;
   domination or command:
   Who's in control here?
7. the situation of being under the regulation, domination, or command of another:
   The car is out of control.
8. check or restraint:
   Her anger is under control.
9. a legal or official means of regulation or restraint:
   to institute wage and price controls.
10. a standard of comparison in scientific experimentation.
11. a person who acts as a check;
    controller.
12. a device for regulating and guiding a machine, as a motor or airplane.
13. controls, a coordinated arrangement of such devices.
14. prevention of the flourishing or spread of something undesirable:
    rodent control.
15. Sport [Baseball.] the ability of a pitcher to throw the ball into the strike zone consistently:
    The rookie pitcher has great power but no control.
16. Stamps [Philately.] any device printed on a postage or revenue stamp to authenticate it as a government issue or to identify it for bookkeeping purposes.
17. a spiritual agency believed to assist a medium at a séance.
18. the supervisor to whom an espionage agent reports when in the field.

• Anglo-French contreroller to keep a duplicate account or roll, derivative of contrerolle (noun, nominal). See counter-, roll
• late Middle English co(u)ntrollen (verb, verbal) 1425–75

con•trol′la•ble, adj., n. 
con•trol′la•bil′i•ty, con•trol′la•ble•ness, n. 
con•trol′la•bly, adv. 
con•trol′less, adj. 
con•trol′ling•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. manage, govern, rule.
• 2. restrain, bridle, constrain.
• 6. management, government, reign, rule, mastery. See authority.