English Reference
Adjective

controllable

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /kənˈtɹoʊɫəbəɫ/ UK /kəntɹˈəʊləbəl/ con·trol·lable Business

adj.something that you can manage or change easily. You use this to describe a situation or a person that is not difficult to handle.

adj.capable of being managed, directed, or influenced by an external force or individual. Often used to describe systems, variables, or behaviors that remain within a predictable range.


SIMPLE

The new software makes the system much more controllable.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager found the new team to be very controllable, as they followed instructions without question.

COMPLEX

In a complex chemical reaction, maintaining a controllable environment is essential to prevent the process from becoming unstable or dangerous.

This is helpful because effort is controllable, and we know practice is important for developing expertise.

Phys.org· 7 Sept 2026

From control + -able.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated