controlling
adjective
con·trol·ling kən-ˈtrō-liŋ 
: inclined to control others' behavior : domineering
Example Sentences
She is very strict and controlling. The larger bank remained the controlling party when it took over the smaller banks. He paid over 40 million dollars for a controlling interest in the company.
Recent Examples on the Web For several years Gould had a controlling share of the Erie Railroad, and Vanderbilt owned its rival, the New York Central. 
Dennis Drabelle, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2022 Lone Star acquired a controlling stake in the KEB in 2003, when South Korea was slowly wiggling out of the shock unleashed by the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. Chron, 1 Sep. 2022 Bed Bath & Beyond shares got a big boost this spring when Ryan Cohen, the co-founder of Chewy.com, took a controlling stake. Allison Morrow, CNN, 31 Aug. 2022 If that goes through, the $13 billion group will have a controlling stake of 55% in the channel. Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 25 Aug. 2022 In 2019, Proxima Media, owned by Ryan Kavanaugh (former head of twice-bankrupt studio Relativity Media) and Bobby Sarnevesht, bought a controlling stake in Triller, a TikTok-like video app. Variety, NBC News, 17 Aug. 2022 But there is a compromise: a significant, non-controlling equity stake. Gene Marks, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2021 Or the other 30 or so minority owners of the Giants could join forces to buy out Johnson entirely, or buy him down to a smaller, non-controlling stake. Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Nov. 2021 This story has been updated to correct that Boeing's loss was $132 million including losses attributed to non-controlling interests, not $132. David Koenig, ajc, 27 Oct. 2021 See More
Dennis Drabelle, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2022 Lone Star acquired a controlling stake in the KEB in 2003, when South Korea was slowly wiggling out of the shock unleashed by the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. Chron, 1 Sep. 2022 Bed Bath & Beyond shares got a big boost this spring when Ryan Cohen, the co-founder of Chewy.com, took a controlling stake. Allison Morrow, CNN, 31 Aug. 2022 If that goes through, the $13 billion group will have a controlling stake of 55% in the channel. Niharika Sharma, Quartz, 25 Aug. 2022 In 2019, Proxima Media, owned by Ryan Kavanaugh (former head of twice-bankrupt studio Relativity Media) and Bobby Sarnevesht, bought a controlling stake in Triller, a TikTok-like video app. Variety, NBC News, 17 Aug. 2022 But there is a compromise: a significant, non-controlling equity stake. Gene Marks, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2021 Or the other 30 or so minority owners of the Giants could join forces to buy out Johnson entirely, or buy him down to a smaller, non-controlling stake. Scott Ostler, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Nov. 2021 This story has been updated to correct that Boeing's loss was $132 million including losses attributed to non-controlling interests, not $132. David Koenig, ajc, 27 Oct. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
1974, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing controlling
Legal Definition
controlling
adjective
1
a
: exercising domination or influence
the controlling principles of law
b
: dispositive
judgment debtor's stipulation to pay a specified amount is not controlling J. H. Friedenthal et al.
J. H. Friedenthal et al.2
: having controlling interest
controlling shareholders
controlling 1 of 2
adjective
1
as in grasping
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- grasping
- domineering
- possessive
- demanding
- jealous
- protective
- envious
- invidious
- distrustful
- covetous
- overprotective
- suspicious
- mistrustful
- jaundiced
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- understanding
- permissive
- trusting
- undemanding
- tolerant
- tolerating
- trustful
2
as in dominating
Synonyms & Similar Words
- dominating
- dominant
- influential
- cogent
- predominant
- masterful
- forceful
- sovereign
- authoritative
- supreme
- regnant
- weighty
- important
- eminent
- momentous
- sovran
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- weak
- helpless
- incapable
- powerless
- unable
- impotent
controlling
2 of 2verb
1
as in regulating
to keep from exceeding a desirable degree or level (as of expression) you must learn to control your temper Synonyms & Similar Words
- regulating
- curbing
- containing
- keeping
- restraining
- suppressing
- measuring
- taming
- governing
- inhibiting
- constraining
- holding
- stifling
- checking
- stopping
- ruling
- bridling
- interrupting
- pulling in
- repressing
- swallowing
- impeding
- smothering
- hindering
- strangling
- squelching
- blocking
- hampering
- obstructing
- arresting
- mincing
- silencing
- muffling
- reining (in)
- holding back
- pocketing
- sinking
- handcuffing
- muzzling
- choking (back)
- gagging
- bottling (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- losing
- loosening
- liberating
- expressing
- unleashing
- loosing
- venting
- taking out
- airing
2
as in containing
to gain emotional or mental control of he controlled himself only with the greatest difficulty in the face of his opponent's insulting remarks Synonyms & Similar Words
- containing
- composing
- restraining
- calming
- collecting
- settling
- re-collecting
- recovering
- quieting
- holding back
- rallying
- soothing
- lulling
- stilling
- tranquilizing
- tranquillizing
3
as in governing
to exercise authority or power over circumstances often control the choices we make in life Synonyms & Similar Words
- governing
- ruling
- dominating
- dictating
- managing
- domineering
- commanding
- bossing
- regulating
- swaying
- administering
- overseeing
- leading
- captaining
- supervising
- micromanaging
- conducting
- directing
- oppressing
- subjugating
- mastering
- presiding (over)
- tyrannizing
- conquering
- superintending
- subduing
- heading
- reigning (over)
- lording (it over)
4
as in managing
to look after and make decisions about during the period that she controlled the company it was highly profitable Synonyms & Similar Words
- managing
- regulating
- supervising
- operating
- overseeing
- handling
- governing
- conducting
- running
- directing
- guiding
- keeping
- administering
- protecting
- administrating
- tending
- superintending
- steering
- overlooking
- carrying on
- stewarding
- leading
- watching
- watching over
- safeguarding
- guarding
- micromanaging
- piloting
- presiding (over)
- minding
- stage-managing
- comanaging
- codirecting
- co-managing
- caring (for)
- co-directing