controlled

controlled — adjective

1. describes an action, movement, or process that is performed slowly and on purpos

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes an action, movement, or process that is performed slowly and on purpose, so that nothing dangerous or unexpected happens.

Example

Zayd lowered the heavy box onto the shelf in one slow, controlled motion.

controlled + motion (careful physical action)

The pilot brought the small plane down in a controlled descent through heavy clouds.

controlled descent (technical: aviation, planned action)

Common collocations
  • controlled motion
  • controlled descent
  • controlled burn
  • controlled explosion
  • controlled demolition
Synonyms
  • deliberate

    stresses intention; 'controlled' adds the idea of limiting risk

  • measured

    more about pace and care; often used of speech or movement

  • careful

    everyday equivalent; less technical-sounding

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

controlled + noun (action, descent, explosion, demolition)

Usage Note

Almost always attributive (before the noun). Object nouns are usually actions or events that could otherwise be dangerous or messy: descent, burn, explosion, demolition, motion.

Common Mistakes

The action was very controlled by him.
He performed the action in a very controlled way.
'controlled' here is not a passive of 'control'; use it as a descriptive adjective in front of the action noun.

2. able to keep calm and not show anger, fear, or excitement, even in a difficult m

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

able to keep calm and not show anger, fear, or excitement, even in a difficult moment.

Example

Yan stayed cool and controlled when the angry customer started shouting at the counter.

be + controlled (emotional self-restraint)

Her voice was quiet and controlled as she told the children that their grandmother had died.

controlled voice (collocation: restrained tone)

Common collocations
  • controlled voice
  • controlled tone
  • controlled manner
  • stay controlled
  • remain controlled
Synonyms
  • composed

    more formal; suggests visible calm under pressure

  • self-possessed

    formal; emphasises confidence as well as calm

  • restrained

    focuses on holding back rather than calmness

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be + controlled

controlled + voice/manner/tone

Usage Note

Subject is usually a person, or a noun describing how a person speaks or behaves (voice, tone, manner, smile). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 describes a planned physical action; sense 2 describes a person's feelings or manner.

Common Mistakes

I am very controlling about my anger.
I am very controlled about my anger.
'controlling' means you try to control other people; 'controlled' means you can manage your own feelings.

3. (of a drug, weapon, or material) only allowed to be sold, owned, or used under s

3.adjectiveC1
Definition

(of a drug, weapon, or material) only allowed to be sold, owned, or used under strict government rules, because it can harm people or be misused.

Example

The police arrested Hugo for trying to bring a controlled drug into the country in his luggage.

controlled drug (collocation: legal restriction)

Doctors must keep careful records each time they hand out a controlled substance to a patient.

controlled substance (medical / legal usage)

Common collocations
  • controlled substance
  • controlled drug
  • controlled weapon
  • controlled material
Synonyms
  • regulated

    broader; can apply to any activity, not just dangerous goods

  • restricted

    stresses limits on access rather than full legal control

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

controlled + substance/drug/weapon

Usage Note

Almost always attributive, modifying nouns like 'substance', 'drug', 'weapon', 'material'. The most fixed phrase is 'controlled substance', the standard legal label for a regulated drug.

Common Mistakes

Marijuana is a controlling substance in many countries.
Marijuana is a controlled substance in many countries.
'controlled' (passive idea: regulated by law); 'controlling' would mean it controls something.

4. (of a study or experiment) designed so that one group is treated normally and an

4.adjectiveC1
Definition

(of a study or experiment) designed so that one group is treated normally and another is given a new treatment, so that researchers can fairly compare the results.

Example

Ayesha read a controlled study showing that the new asthma drug worked better than the older one.

controlled study (research design)

Before the vaccine was approved, it was tested in a large controlled trial across five hospitals.

controlled trial (clinical research)

Common collocations
  • controlled study
  • controlled trial
  • controlled experiment
  • controlled conditions
  • randomized controlled trial
Synonyms
  • comparative

    stresses the comparison aspect; less about the design

  • blinded

    specific subtype where participants do not know who got the treatment

Antonyms
  • uncontrolled

    without a comparison group; results less reliable

  • observational

    study without an intervention; researchers only watch

Grammar Patterns

controlled + study/trial/experiment/conditions

Usage Note

Strictly attributive in this sense, modifying 'study', 'trial', 'experiment', or 'conditions'. Often paired with 'randomized' in medical research ('randomized controlled trial'). Distinguish from sense 1: a 'controlled descent' is a careful action; a 'controlled trial' is a designed comparison.

Common Mistakes

They did a controlling experiment in the lab.
They did a controlled experiment in the lab.
the experiment is the thing being kept under control, so use 'controlled', not 'controlling'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

When describing a person who keeps their feelings hidden under pressure, 'calm' is the everyday choice — it simply says the person is not anxious or upset. 'Controlled' goes further: it suggests the calmness is the result of effort and self-discipline; the feelings are there, but the person chooses not to show them. 'Composed' is more formal and stresses how someone looks from the outside — steady, dignified, in command of themselves — and is common in news writing ('the witness remained composed'). 'Restrained' focuses specifically on holding back a reaction that would otherwise come out, often anger or criticism. So a friend at a funeral might be calm; a politician facing a hostile reporter is composed; a parent biting back a sharp reply is restrained; and a martial-arts student breathing slowly through a hard sparring match is controlled.

controlled ↗composedrestrainedcalm ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • tightly controlled
  • strictly controlled
  • carefully controlled
  • well controlled
  • centrally controlled

Phrases

  • under controlled conditions
  • in a controlled manner
  • tightly controlled access

Prepositions

  • controlled by
  • controlled for
  • controlled under

Etymology

Medieval LatinAnglo-FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

Past participle of the verb 'control', used as an adjective from the 1600s onward. 'Control' itself entered English in the late 1400s from Anglo-French 'contreroller', meaning 'to check or verify accounts against a duplicate roll'. The original sense of comparing two records survives faintly in the modern scientific use ('a controlled trial'), where one group is the standard against which another is checked.