What does "controller" mean?
One who controls something.
Controller
/kənˈtɹəʊlə/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who controls something.
- Grammar: controller is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: comptroller, accountant, accountant, accountant general.
- Useful contrasts: follower, nonregulator, subordinate.
- Usage evidence: Air traffic controller is an extremely high pressure job.
How to use "controller"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "controller" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "controller" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "controller" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "controller" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "controller" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "comptroller" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "controller", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who controls something.
"The great controller of our fate / Deigned to be man, and lived in low estate."
- 2 a mechanism that controls the operation of a machine wordnet
- 3 Any electric or mechanical device for controlling a circuit or system.
"Nothing more can be squeezed out of the motive power unit once the master controller has been moved to full on."
- 4 someone who maintains and audits business accounts wordnet
- 5 The chief accounting officer which audits, and manages the financial affairs of a company or government; a comptroller.
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a person who directs and restrains wordnet
- 7 A mechanism that controls or regulates the operation of a machine, especially a peripheral device in a computer.
- 8 A hardware device designed to allow the user to play video games.
"I'm collecting player's names for a school project. You know, players just like you! That's right, you--the one holding the controller. Would you register your name, please?"
- 9 An iron block, usually bolted to a ship's deck, for controlling the running out of a chain cable. The links of the cable tend to drop into hollows in the block, and thus hold fast until disengaged.
- 10 The person who supervises and handles communication with an agent in the field.
- 11 The subject of a control verb. See Control (linguistics)
"The choice of controller is determined by the matrix verb. If, as in (30b) and (3la), the main verb does not subcategorize for an OBJ, then the controller is the matrix SUBJ. In this case the complement clause is interpreted as having the same subject as the main clause. If the main verb does take an OBJ, the controller is the matrix patient."
- 12 In software applications using the model-view-controller design pattern, the part or parts of the application that treat input and output, forming an interface between models and views.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Air traffic controller is an extremely high pressure job."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "controller"?
Common synonyms include: comptroller, accountant, accountant, accountant general, actuary, auditor.
How do you use "controller" in a sentence?
Air traffic controller is an extremely high pressure job.
How do you pronounce "controller"?
Pronounced /kənˈtɹəʊlə/.
Etymology
From Middle English countreroller, from Anglo-Norman contreroulour and Middle French contreroleur (French contrôleur), from Medieval Latin contrārotulātor, from *contrārotulāre (from which control). Doublet of comptroller. By surface analysis, control + -er.