Control vs. Manipulate: What's the Difference?
By Janet White || Updated on May 20, 2024
Control means to exercise authority or influence over something, while manipulate involves skillfully handling or influencing something or someone, often in a deceptive or unfair way.
Key Differences
Control involves exerting authority or influence to manage, direct, or govern something. For instance, a manager controls the operations of a team by setting rules and guidelines. This term implies a structured and often legitimate exercise of power, aimed at achieving specific outcomes. Manipulate, on the other hand, refers to skillfully influencing or handling someone or something, often in a cunning or deceptive manner. For example, a politician might manipulate public opinion through misleading statements. This term often carries a negative connotation, suggesting underhanded or unethical tactics.
Control is typically associated with a clear, authoritative power dynamic. It is about maintaining order, directing activities, or regulating processes. For example, a thermostat controls the temperature of a room by adjusting the heating or cooling system based on predefined settings. Manipulate involves more subtle and indirect influence. It can imply the use of clever or deceitful strategies to achieve one's goals. For example, a salesperson might manipulate a customer's emotions to close a deal, appealing to their fears or desires in ways that are not entirely transparent.
In professional settings, control is often seen as a necessary and positive aspect of leadership and management. Leaders control resources, schedules, and policies to ensure organizational goals are met. This control is usually based on legitimate authority and is necessary for coordination and efficiency. Manipulation in professional settings is usually viewed negatively, as it can undermine trust and integrity. When colleagues or managers manipulate others, it can lead to a toxic work environment, characterized by suspicion and unethical behavior. Manipulative tactics often prioritize personal gain over collective well-being.
Control is also about stability and predictability, providing a sense of security and order. For instance, controlling financial budgets helps organizations plan and allocate resources effectively, ensuring long-term sustainability. Manipulate, conversely, is often about achieving short-term gains, sometimes at the expense of long-term relationships or integrity. Manipulative behavior can lead to quick wins but often results in negative consequences over time, such as damaged reputations and broken trust.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Exerting authority or influence
Skillfully influencing, often deceptively
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Connotation
Generally positive or neutral
Often negative
Context
Management, leadership, regulation
Deceptive tactics, influence
Power Dynamic
Authoritative, structured
Subtle, indirect
Example Context
"Control the project timeline"
"Manipulate the outcome of the negotiation"
Implications
Stability, order
Deception, unfair advantage
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Control and Manipulate Definitions
Control
To exercise authority over.
The CEO controls the direction of the company.
Manipulate
To manage shrewdly or unfairly.
The manager was known to manipulate employees for personal gain.
Control
To direct the operation of.
He controls the machinery with precision.
Manipulate
To handle skillfully.
The artist manipulates the clay effortlessly.
Control
To have power over.
The teacher controls the classroom environment.
Manipulate
To alter or change deceptively.
They manipulated the data to support their argument.
Control
To exercise authoritative or dominating influence over; direct
The majority party controls the legislative agenda.
Manipulate
To move, arrange, operate, or control by the hands or another body part or by mechanical means, especially in a skillful manner
She manipulated the lights to get just the effect she wanted.
Control
To adjust to a requirement; regulate
Rules that control trading on the stock market.
Valves that control the flow of water.
Manipulate
To influence or manage shrewdly or deviously
He manipulated public opinion in his favor.
Control
To hold in restraint; check
Struggled to control my temper.
Manipulate
To tamper with or falsify for personal gain
Tried to manipulate stock prices.
Control
To reduce or prevent the spread of
Used a pesticide to control insects.
Controlled the fire by dousing it with water.
Manipulate
(Medicine) To handle and move in an examination or for therapeutic purposes
Manipulate a joint.
Manipulate the position of a fetus during delivery.
Control
To verify or regulate (a scientific experiment) by conducting a parallel experiment or by comparing with another standard.
Manipulate
(transitive) To move, arrange or operate something using the hands
Control
To verify (a financial account, for example) by using a duplicate register for comparison.
Manipulate
(transitive) To influence, manage, direct, control or tamper with something
Control
Authority or ability to manage or direct
Lost control of the skidding car.
The leaders in control of the country.
Manipulate
To handle and move a body part, either as an examination or for a therapeutic purpose
Control
One that controls; a controlling agent, device, or organization.
Manipulate
(transitive) To influence or control someone in order to achieve a specific purpose, especially one that is unknown to the one being manipulated and beneficial to the manipulator; to use
Control
An instrument.
Manipulate
To use the hands, especially in scientific experiments.
Control
Controls A set of such instruments.
Manipulate
To treat, work, or operate with the hands, especially when knowledge and dexterity are required; to manage in hand work; to handle; as, to manipulate scientific apparatus.
Control
A restraining device, measure, or limit; a curb
A control on prices.
Price controls.
Manipulate
To control the action of, by management; as, to manipulate a convention of delegates; also, to manage artfully or fraudulently; as, to manipulate accounts, or election returns; to manipulate the stock market.
Control
A standard of comparison for checking or verifying the results of a scientific experiment.
Manipulate
To use the hands in dexterous operations; to do hand work;
Control
An individual or group used as a standard of comparison in a scientific experiment, as a group of subjects given an inactive substance in an experiment testing a new drug administered to another group of subjects.
Manipulate
Influence or control shrewdly or deviously;
He manipulated public opinion in his favor
Control
An intelligence agent who supervises or instructs another agent.
Manipulate
Hold something in one's hands and move it
Control
A spirit presumed to speak or act through a medium.
Manipulate
Fake or falsify;
Fudge the figures
Cook the books
Falsify the data
Control
(transitive) To exercise influence over; to suggest or dictate the behavior of.
With a simple remote, he could control the toy truck.
Manipulate
Manipulate in a fraudulent manner;
Rig prices
Control
(construed with for) To design (an experiment) so that the effects of one or more variables are reduced or eliminated.
Manipulate
Control (others or oneself) or influence skillfully, usually to one's advantage;
She manipulates her boss
She is a very controlling mother and doesn't let her children grow up
The teacher knew how to keep the class in line
She keeps in line
Control
To verify the accuracy of (something or someone, especially a financial account) by comparison with another account.
Manipulate
Treat manually, as with massage, for therapeutic purposed
Control
To call to account, to take to task, to challenge.
Manipulate
To influence cunningly.
He manipulated the conversation to his advantage.
Control
(transitive) To hold in check, to curb, to restrain.
Manipulate
To operate with the hands.
She manipulates the surgical instruments with great care.
Control
Influence or authority over something.
The government has complete control over the situation.
Control
The method and means of governing the performance of any apparatus, machine or system, such as a lever, handle or button.
Control
Restraint or ability to contain one's movements or emotions, or self-control.
Control
A security mechanism, policy, or procedure that can counter system attack, reduce risks, and resolve vulnerabilities; a safeguard or countermeasure.
Control
(project management) A means of monitoring for, and triggering intervention in, activities that are not going according to plan.
Control
A control group or control experiment.
Control
A duplicate book, register, or account, kept to correct or check another account or register.
Control
(graphical user interface) An interface element that a computer user interacts with, such as a window or a text box Ctrl.
Control
(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.
Control
(linguistics) A construction in which the understood subject of a given predicate is determined by an expression in context. See control.
Control
A spirit that takes possession of a psychic or medium and allows other spirits to communicate with the living.
Control
A checkpoint along an audax route.
Control
A duplicate book, register, or account, kept to correct or check another account or register; a counter register.
Control
That which serves to check, restrain, or hinder; restraint.
Control
Power or authority to check or restrain; restraining or regulating influence; superintendence; government; as, children should be under parental control.
The House of Commons should exercise a control over all the departments of the executive administration.
Control
The complete apparatus used to control a mechanism or machine in operation, as a flying machine in flight;
Control
Any of the physical factors determining the climate of any particular place, 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.
Control
In research, an object or subject used in an experimental procedure, which is treated identically to the primary subject of the experiment, except for the omission of the specific treatment or conditions whose effect is being investigated. If the control is a group of living organisms, as is common in medical research, it is called the control group.
Control
The part of an experimental procedure in which the controls{6} are subjected to the experimental conditions.
Control
The group of technical specialists exercising control by remote communications over a distant operation, such as a space flight; as, the American Mission Control for manned flights is located in Houston.
Control
To check by a counter register or duplicate account; to prove by counter statements; to confute.
This report was controlled to be false.
Control
To exercise restraining or governing influence over; to check; to counteract; to restrain; to regulate; to govern; to overpower.
Give me a staff of honor for mine age,But not a scepter to control the world.
I feel my virtue struggling in my soul:But stronger passion does its power control.
Control
To assure the validity of an experimental procedure by using a control{7}.
Control
Power to direct or determine;
Under control
Control
A relation of constraint of one entity (thing or person or group) by another;
Measures for the control of disease
They instituted controls over drinking on campus
Control
(physiology) regulation or maintenance of a function or action or reflex etc;
The timing and control of his movements were unimpaired
He had lost control of his sphincters
Control
A standard against which other conditions can be compared in a scientific experiment;
The control condition was inappropriate for the conclusions he wished to draw
Control
The activity of managing or exerting control over something;
The control of the mob by the police was admirable
Control
The state that exists when one person or group has power over another;
Her apparent dominance of her husband was really her attempt to make him pay attention to her
Control
Discipline in personal and social activities;
He was a model of polite restraint
She never lost control of herself
Control
Great skillfulness and knowledge of some subject or activity;
A good command of French
Control
The economic policy of controlling or limiting or curbing prices or wages etc.;
They wanted to repeal all the legislation that imposed economic controls
Control
A mechanism that controls the operation of a machine;
The speed control on his turntable was not working properly
I turned the controls over to her
Control
A spiritual agency that is assumed to assist the medium during a seance
Control
Exercise authoritative control or power over;
Control the budget
Command the military forces
Control
Lessen the intensity of; temper; hold in restraint; hold or keep within limits;
Moderate your alcohol intake
Hold your tongue
Hold your temper
Control your anger
Control
Handle and cause to function;
Do not operate machinery after imbibing alcohol
Control the lever
Control
Control (others or oneself) or influence skillfully, usually to one's advantage;
She manipulates her boss
She is a very controlling mother and doesn't let her children grow up
The teacher knew how to keep the class in line
She keeps in line
Control
Verify or regulate by conducting a parallel experiment or comparing with another standard, of scientific experiments;
Are you controlling for the temperature?
Control
Verify by using a duplicate register for comparison;
Control an account
Control
Be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something;
He verified that the valves were closed
See that the curtains are closed
Control the quality of the product
Control
Have a firm understanding or knowledge of; be on top of;
Do you control these data?
Control
To manage or regulate.
The thermostat controls the room temperature.
Control
To restrain or limit.
She struggled to control her emotions.
FAQs
Is manipulate always negative?
Manipulate often carries a negative connotation, implying deceit or unfair influence.
Can control be positive?
Yes, control can be positive, as it provides order and stability.
Can control be harmful?
Yes, excessive control can be harmful and lead to a lack of freedom or creativity.
What does control mean?
Control means to exercise authority or influence over something or someone.
How is manipulate used in a sentence?
e.g., She manipulated the outcome of the vote through clever tactics.
What is an example of control in daily life?
e.g., Parents control the bedtime schedule of their children.
Is manipulate used in a neutral context?
Rarely, as it usually implies some form of deceit or unethical behavior.
How does control relate to management?
Control in management involves directing resources and activities to achieve organizational goals.
What is a synonym for control?
Regulate, manage, direct.
Does manipulate involve skill?
Yes, manipulation involves skillful and often cunning handling of situations.
What does control imply in technology?
In technology, control refers to managing the operations of devices or systems.
Can control be flexible?
Yes, effective control can adapt to changing circumstances while maintaining order.
How do leaders use control?
Leaders use control to guide teams, manage resources, and ensure objectives are met.
What is a control system?
A system designed to regulate and manage specific functions or processes.
Can manipulation be part of negotiation?
Yes, but it is often viewed negatively as it can involve deceit.
What does manipulation imply in psychology?
In psychology, manipulation often refers to influencing someone's behavior or emotions deceptively.
Can manipulate be seen in a positive light?
Occasionally, if it refers to skillful handling without deceit.
What is a synonym for manipulate?
Maneuver, influence, exploit.
Is manipulation ethical?
Typically, manipulation is considered unethical due to its deceitful nature.
What is the impact of manipulation on trust?
Manipulation can severely damage trust and lead to distrust and suspicion.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
