What is the Latin word for control?

The usual Latin words for “control” are disciplīna, coërcitiō, moderātiō; also potestās, diciō, inhibeō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“control” in Latin

disciplīnateaching, instruction, education; training; learning, knowledge, discipline, science, study coërcitiōcoercion, restraint, repression moderātiōmoderation; self-control; guidance potestāspower, ability; mastery, control; authority, jurisdiction diciōmilitary or political authority, power, control, rule; sway, control inhibeōto lay hold of, keep back, restrain, curb, check, stop; to hinder, prevent, inhibit; to practise, perform, use, employ cohibeōto hold together, contain, confine, comprise; to keep (back), hinder, stay, stop, restrain; to hold in check, limit, rep reprimōto repress; to check, prevent or restrain comprimōto compress (squeeze together); to restrain, contain, repress or curb, hinder, check; to withhold or conceal evidences o supprimōto press down or under, suppress; to detain or restrain, suppress; to sink

The English word control itself goes back to Latin rota, through contrārotulus.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

control s.

disciplina (control of those who are teachers, including the state): coercitio (right of control over anybody, in aliquem; Vid: Suet., Oct., 45): moderatio (act of controlling, calming; e.g., moderatio populi effrenati): potestas (power; e.g., of parents): ditio (power over one who is kept in subjection or complete dependence). To preserve or possess an absolute control over anybody, aliquem in mea potestate ac ditione teneo (Cic., Verr., 1, 37; of one who is the creature of another): continere aliquem potestate sua (Cic.): to be under the absolute control of an individual, in unius potestate ac moderatione verti (of things that depend on his will, Cic.): to have no control over one’s self or over one’s mind; to have lost all self-control, exisse ex or de potestate (of those who, from last or rage, non sunt in potestate mentis, are not under the control of reason, Cic., Tusc., 3, 5, 11). Any one has the absolute control of anything, alicujus est summa potestas alicujus rei (e.g., rerum omnium, Cic.), alicujus rei potestas omnis in aliquo sita est (Cic.): to have the absolute control of anything, alicujus rei (or alicujus rei faciendae) potestatem habere; also, over anybody, alicujus (e.g., Pontifices potestatem habent judicum, Cic.): to be impatient of control, *alienae auctoritatis impatientem esse: sibi indulgere: parental control, potestas patris: parentum disciplina: to exercise severe control over anybody, aliquem severius coercere; tristiore disciplina continere aliquem: to be under anybody’s control, esse in potestate alicujus or alicujus rei (e.g., Pompeii, mentis, Cic.): to keep one’s feelings and one’s grief under strict control, motum animi et dolorem in sua potestate tenere (Cic.): to subject one’s self or submit to anybody’s control, se sub alicujus potestatem subjicere (Auct. ad Her., 2, 31, in.): to give up one’s power or right of control over anybody, ex potestate aliquem dimittere: to another person, omnem suam potestatem de aliquo tradere alicui (Cic.): to be under nobody’s control, in sua potestate esse (especially of a Roman who is no longer under the control of a father).

Counter -register, *rationes contra scriptae (after contrascriptor rationum, Inscript.).

control v.

Keep in check, inhibere (to control a lifeless object): cohibere: reprimere: comprimere: supprimere: coercere: continere: frenare: refrenare [SYN. in RESTRAIN]: moderari: temperare [SYN. in GOVERN]: modum or moderationem adhibere alicui rei or in aliqua re. To control one’s self, se continere; sibi temperare; sibi imperare; animi potentem esse; animum suum comprimere, coercere; animo suo imperare: not to be able to control one’s self, intemperantem esse; sui impotentem or non potentem esse; sui non compotem esse; animo suo imperare non posse: to control one’s anger or wrath, irae moderari or temperare; iram tenere, continere (opposed to irae indulgere); iram reprimere: one’s passions, cupiditates continere, coercere; comprimere, frenare, domare ac frangere; cupiditatibus modum facere; appetitus contrabere; perturbationes in angustum deducere (Cic., Acad., 1, 10, 38): to control one’s grief, dolori imperare; dolorem in potestate tenere: to control anything by strict laws, vincire aliquid severis legibus: not to be able to control one’s anger, ira teneri; impotentem esse irae: to control one’s tongue, linguae (or orationi) moderari; linguam continere; modum tenere verborum: not to bear to be controlled, *alienae auctoritatis impatientem esse.

To control accounts, *rationes contra scribere (after contrascriptor rationum, Inscr.).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for control?: The usual Latin words for “control” are disciplīna, coërcitiō, moderātiō; also potestās, diciō, inhibeō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.