Exercising power or influence over others' actions or behavior, often in an excessive or manipulative way. Can also refer to the act of managing or regulating something.
From Middle English 'controllen', from Anglo-French 'contreroller', literally meaning 'against-roll' - referring to keeping a duplicate register to verify accounts. The psychological sense of dominating others developed later.
The word's origin in medieval accounting reveals how 'control' was originally about verification and accuracy, not domination. This bureaucratic beginning evolved into our modern understanding of control as power over others, showing how administrative concepts can become deeply personal.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.