American
[kuhn-troh-ler] / kənˈtroʊ lər /
noun
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controllers
plural
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an employee, often an officer, of a business firm who checks expenditures, finances, etc.; comptroller.
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a person who regulates, directs, or restrains.
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British Aeronautics. a dispatcher.
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a regulating mechanism; governor.
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Also called control unit, processor. Computers. the key component of a device, as a terminal, printer, or external storage unit, that contains the circuitry necessary to interpret and execute instructions fed into the device.
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Digital Technology. a remote piece of hardware used to direct or control an electronic device.
a video game controller.
controller British
/ kənˈtrəʊlə /
noun
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a person who directs, regulates, or restrains
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Also called: comptroller. a business executive or government officer who is responsible for financial planning, control, etc
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the equipment concerned with controlling the operation of an electrical device
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of controller
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English countrollour, from Anglo-French countrero(u)llour, Middle French contrerolleur, equivalent to contrerolle “duplicate roll” + -eur, -our, from Latin -ōr- or -ātōr- noun suffixes; see control, -or 2, -ator
Explanation
The device that's used to operate a tool or machine is a controller. When you play video games, you move your character around on screen using a joystick or controller. A controller is any object or person that controls something. An air traffic controller is a person who usually works in a control tower at an airport and is in charge of monitoring and directing pilots to make sure planes take off and land safely. Another kind of human controller, also known as a comptroller, is the person in charge of accounting and finances at a business or organization. These controllers have the important job of being in control of the money.
Keep Reading on Vocabulary.comVocabulary lists containing controller
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
controller controllers
After her death was announced, the then-BBC director general Tim Davie paid tribute to her as "a broadcasting icon", while Radio 4 controller Mohit Bakaya described her as "warm, fearless and beloved by listeners".
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
James argues that this explanation is more parsimonious than assuming the brain contains what he calls "a higher-level, central controller that monitors and regulates sensory and motor processes."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
In the control room, the map of Greece is divided into 10 sectors, each managed by a controller assisted by an aide.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
Separately, the company said Konnie Haynes-Welsh, who is currently vice president of finance and controller, will succeed O’Brien as chief financial officer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Leo pulled out his controller and yanked it upward.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
Mission controllers will carry out the first of two course corrections, and Roman's Coronagraph Instrument will be switched on.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
During the first part of the mission, Roman communicates with controllers using the Near Space Network, a system of ground stations and relay satellites that handles tracking, telemetry, and commands.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
The process to terminate controllers can be lengthy and result in lighter punishments or reversals, as has happened in some cases this year, people familiar with the matter said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
Two air traffic controllers left work early ahead of a deadly collision between an Air Canada jet and a fire truck at New York's LaGuardia Airport in March, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
The Goddard computers also sent the flight controllers their projection of the remainder of the voyage.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.