different between control vs might

English

Alternative forms

• comptroll (archaic)
• controll, controul (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English controllen, from Old French contrerole, from Medieval Latin contrarotulum (“a counter-roll or register used to verify accounts”), from Latin contra (“against, opposite”) + Medieval Latin rotulus, Latin rotula (“roll, a little wheel”), diminutive of rota (“a wheel”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /k?n?t???l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /k?n?t(?)?o?l/
• Hyphenation: con?trol
• Homophone: Ctrl

Verb

control (third-person singular simple present controls, present participle controlling, simple past and past participle controlled)

1. (transitive) To exercise influence over; to suggest or dictate the behavior of.

   Synonyms: besteer, bewield, manage, puppeteer, rule
2. (transitive, statistics) (construed with for) To design (an experiment) so that the effects of one or more variables are reduced or eliminated.
3. (transitive, archaic) to verify the accuracy of (something or someone, especially a financial account) by comparison with another account
4. (transitive, obsolete) to call to account, to take to task, to challenge
5. (transitive) to hold in check, to curb, to restrain

Synonyms

• ctrl.

Antonyms

• defy, rebel, resist (not to be controlled)
• obey, submit (to be controlled)

Derived terms

See also

• regulate

Translations

Noun

control (countable and uncountable, plural controls)

1. (countable, uncountable) Influence or authority over something.

2. The method and means of governing the performance of any apparatus, machine or system, such as a lever, handle or button.
3. Restraint or ability to contain one's movements or emotions, or self-control.

   • She had no control of her body as she tumbled downhill. She did not know up from down. It was not unlike being cartwheeled in a relentlessly crashing wave.
4. A security mechanism, policy, or procedure that can counter system attack, reduce risks, and resolve vulnerabilities; a safeguard or countermeasure.
5. (project management) A means of monitoring for, and triggering intervention in, activities that are not going according to plan.
6. A control group or control experiment.
7. A duplicate book, register, or account, kept to correct or check another account or register.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Johnson to this entry?)

8. (graphical user interface) An interface element that a computer user interacts with, such as a window or a text box.

   Synonym: widget

9. (climatology) Any of the physical factors determining the climate of a place, such as latitude, distribution of land and water, altitude, exposure, prevailing winds, permanent high- or low-barometric-pressure areas, ocean currents, mountain barriers, soil, and vegetation.
10. (linguistics) A construction in which the understood subject of a given predicate is determined by an expression in context. See control.
11. (spiritualism, parapsychology) A spirit that takes possession of a psychic or medium and allows other spirits to communicate with the living.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

• control in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• control in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• control on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Control in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Catalan

Etymology

From French contrôle, attested from 1917.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Valencian) IPA^(key): /kon?t??l/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /kun?t??l/

Noun

control m (plural controls)

1. control
2. check, inspection
3. influence, authority

Derived terms

• controlar

References

Further reading

• “control” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “control” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “control” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Portuguese

Etymology

From English control. The established pronunciation reflects a widespread mispronunciation of the English word. Doublet of controle and controlo.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /?kõ.t?ow/

Noun

control m (plural controls)

1. the control key on a computer keyboard

Derived terms

• control C control V

Romanian

Etymology

From French contrôle.

Noun

control n (plural controale)

1. control

Declension

Spanish

Etymology

From French contrôle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kon?t?ol/, [kõn??t??ol]
• Hyphenation: con?trol

Noun

control m (plural controles)

1. control, or running of a business
2. control of a machine

   Synonyms: control remoto, mando, mando a distancia, telemando

3. control or emotional restraint, self-control
4. (Latin America) remote control

   Synonyms: control remoto, mando, mando a distancia

5. (video games, Latin America) controller, gamepad, joypad

   Synonym: mando

6. (medicine) checkup

Derived terms

Related terms

• controlar

Further reading

• “control” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Alternative forms

• mite (eye dialect, informal)

Pronunciation

• enPR: m?t, IPA^(key): /ma?t/
• Homophone: mite
• Rhymes: -a?t

Etymology 1

From Middle English myght, might (also maught, macht, maht), from Old English miht, mieht, meaht, mæht (“might, bodily strength, power, authority, ability, virtue, mighty work, miracle, angel”), from Proto-West Germanic *mahti, from Proto-Germanic *mahtiz, *mahtuz (“might, power”), from Proto-Indo-European *móg?tis, *meg?- (“to allow, be able, help”), corresponding to Germanic *magan? + *-þiz.

Cognate with Scots micht, maucht (“might”), North Frisian macht (“might, ability”), West Frisian macht (“might, ability”), Dutch macht (“might, power”), German Macht (“power, might”), Swedish makt (“might”), Norwegian makt (“power”), Icelandic máttur (“might”), Gothic ???????????????????? (mahts). Related to may.

Noun

might (countable and uncountable, plural mights)

1. (countable, uncountable) Power, strength, force or influence held by a person or group.
   • 1969, {unattributed}, Journal of the United Service Institution of India, Volume 99

     "Since every nation considers itself right, peace lies in balancing the military mights of the possible rivals."

2. (uncountable) Physical strength or force.

   He pushed with all his might, but still it would not move.

3. (uncountable) The ability to do something.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

might (comparative mighter, superlative mightest)

1. (obsolete) Mighty; powerful.
2. (obsolete) Possible.

Etymology 2

From Old English meahte and mihte, from magan, whence English may.

Verb

might (third-person singular simple present might, no present participle, simple past might, no past participle)

1. (auxiliary) Used to indicate conditional or possible actions.
   • 1608, Joseph Hall, Characters of Virtues and Vices

     The characterism of an honest man: He looks not to what he might do, but what he should.

   • “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; […]. ¶ Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.
2. (auxiliary) simple past tense of may Used to indicate permission in past tense.
   • 1922, James Frazer, The Golden Bough, Chapter 60:

     The king and queen of Tahiti might not touch the ground anywhere but within their hereditary domains; for the ground on which they trod became sacred.

3. (auxiliary) simple past tense of may Used to indicate possibility in past tense.
4. Used to indicate a desired past action that was not done.
5. (auxiliary) Even though.
6. (auxiliary) Used in polite requests for permission

Usage notes

For many speakers, the use as the past tense of the auxiliary may, indicating permission, is obsolete: I told him he might not see her will only be interpreted as "I told him he would possibly not see her," and not as "I told him he was not allowed to see her." For the latter case, "could not" or "was/were not allowed to," "was/were forbidden to," etc., will be used instead.

Conjugation

• archaic second-person singular simple past - mightest
• nonstandard, archaic third-person singular simple past - mighteth

Alternative forms

• mought (obsolete outside US dialects)
• mout (US regional pronunciation spelling)

Translations

See also

• could
• Appendix:English modal verbs
• Appendix:English tag questions

References

• might at OneLook Dictionary Search