control key

noun

A key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard used in combination to modify the function of other keys.

Similar
Ctrlcommand key
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Meanings

nouncontrol key (plural control keys)

plural control keys

  1. computer hardwareA key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard used in combination to modify the function of other keys.

    Synonyms: Ctrl

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA key on a personal computer or terminal keyboard used in combination to modify the function of other keys.

Similar
Ctrl

More synonyms by meaning

noun(computer science) the key on a computer keyboard that is used (in combination with some other key) to type control characters

Similar
command key
Broader
key
Also see
command key

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

First use appears c. 1978 in the publication Practical Computing.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 控制鍵 /控制键
  • 控制鍵 /控制键 (kòngzhìjiàn)computing: a key on a keyboard
Finnish Ctrl-näppäin, Control-näppäin
  • Ctrl-näppäincomputing: a key on a keyboard
  • Control-näppäincomputing: a key on a keyboard
  • ohjausnäppäincomputing: a key on a keyboard
  • komentonäppäincomputing: a key on a keyboard
French touche contrôle
  • touche contrôlecomputing: a key on a keyboard
German Strg-Taste, Steuerungstaste
  • Strg-Tastecomputing: a key on a keyboard
  • Steuerungstastecomputing: a key on a keyboard
  • Control-Tastecomputing: a key on a keyboard
Italian tasto control
  • tasto controlcomputing: a key on a keyboard
Japanese コントロールキー, コントロール
  • コントロールキー (kontorōru kī)computing: a key on a keyboard
  • コントロール (kontorōru)computing: a key on a keyboard
Korean 컨트롤 키, 컨트롤
  • 컨트롤 키 (keonteurol ki)computing: a key on a keyboard
  • 컨트롤 (keonteurol)computing: a key on a keyboard
Portuguese tecla de controle, tecla de controlo
  • tecla de controlecomputing: a key on a keyboard
  • tecla de controlocomputing: a key on a keyboard
  • tecla controlcomputing: a key on a keyboard
Russian контро́ль, кла́виша контро́ль
  • контро́ль (kontrólʹ)computing: a key on a keyboard
  • кла́виша контро́ль (kláviša kontrólʹ)computing: a key on a keyboard
Spanish tecla control
  • tecla controlcomputing: a key on a keyboard
Swedish kontrolltangent
  • kontrolltangentcomputing: a key on a keyboard
Turkish kontrol tuşu
  • kontrol tuşucomputing: a key on a keyboard
Cite this entry
APA

control key. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/control%20key

MLA

“control key.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/control%20key. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “control key,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/control%20key.

Source: control key on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.