control

(kŏn-trōl′)

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[Fr. contreroller, to keep a duplicate roll or account]

1. To regulate or maintain.
2. The regulation of objects or events by an agent.
3. A standard against which observations or conclusions may be checked to establish their validity, as a control animal (such as one that has not been exposed to the treatment or condition being studied in the other animals).
4. In clinical investigations, a research subject whose age, sex, race, behavior, weight, or health matches as many features of the population being studied as is possible or appropriate. When cases and controls are closely matched, the validity of results increases.
SYN: SEE: control group; SEE: reference group
5. To dominate, coerce, or forcibly manage the behavior of another person.

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