controlling
adjective
con·trol·ling
kən-ˈtrō-liŋ 
: inclined to control others' behavior : domineering
Examples of controlling in a Sentence
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
The startup will pay Nvidia in cash for chips, and Nvidia will invest in OpenAI for non-controlling shares, the person said.
—
Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
In the meantime, overly strict or controlling behavior—especially from moms—can increase social anxiety.
—Sarah Scott, Parents, 23 Sep. 2025
In 2016, the USTA committed $6 million for a 20% non-controlling interest in Trident8, the parent company of the Laver Cup.
—Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 20 Sep. 2025
In recent years, all of the major North American sports leagues have changed their ownership rules to permit specialist private equity funds to buy non-controlling stakes in their clubs under strict rules.
—Chris Deubert, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Controlling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/controlling. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
Legal Definition
controlling
adjective1
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.
2
: having controlling interest
controlling shareholders
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