not easily controlled

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "not easily controlled" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something or someone that is difficult to manage or regulate. Example: "The wild animal was not easily controlled, making it a challenge for the trainers."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

"The reality is that most of the time these women have their own political agendas and are usually not easily controlled by men".

The Guardian

By the same token, it is also true that once sectarianism is enabled, it is not easily controlled so long as the political and military situation remains chaotic.

The New York Times

And sending artists, as opposed to just their work, abroad to represent the United States was considered particularly risky, Mr. Krenn said in an e-mail, because artists "were not easily controlled".

The New York Times - Arts

However, optimized conduction in ReRAM applications for the ZnO-based ReRAM is not well investigated yet, whose defects resulted from pristine conditions or doping in the ZnO film are not easily controlled.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Contrary to pre-clinical models that can be carefully tailored to meet scientific need and preferred outcomes, the essence of human disease involves heterogeneity in clinical presentation and with a complex biological basis that is not easily controlled for all possible models of behavior in a population of subjects.

Clinical and Translational Medicine

An example is a formation of 2D nanoparticle or protein arrays using a scaffold of 2D DNA crystal;relative positions between nanoparticles or proteinswithin the 2D DNA scaffold are well defined, although placement of DNA scaffolds themselves on the substrate is not easily controlled.

Nanoscale Research Letters

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

All that seemed to matter was a newspaper business of modest profitability that he was not obviously cut out to lead, and whose key decisions he could not easily control when the editors of the titles, most notably Brooks, enjoyed a direct relationship with his father.

The Guardian

What if they don't quite conform, can't easily control their attention span or perceive the structure of the world in their own way and at their own pace?

TechCrunch

If nothing changes, it will boil over eventually in ways we can't easily control.

Huffington Post

As a small publisher, you can't easily control your sales, but you can control your expenses.

Huffington Post

External analysis involves identifying political, societal, ecological and technological trends that affect your organization's products, services or both from outside, those things you can't easily control or have no control over at all.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "not easily controlled", ensure the context clearly identifies what or who is difficult to manage. Specificity enhances clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "not easily controlled" in contexts where a more precise term like "unpredictable" or "unstable" would be more appropriate. Ensure the term accurately reflects the difficulty in management, not just general uncertainty.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not easily controlled" functions as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun to describe something or someone that presents difficulties in being managed or regulated. As confirmed by Ludwig, this expression is considered grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

41%

News & Media

37%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

8%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "not easily controlled" serves as an adjective phrase to describe something challenging to manage or regulate. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness and usability in various contexts. While the expression is found across different domains, including science, news, and general reference, its primary purpose is to convey the difficulty in governing, directing, or influencing a subject, often implying inherent resistance or complexity. When using this phrase, ensuring a clear context and specific subject enhances clarity. Alternatives such as "hard to manage" or "difficult to regulate" may offer greater precision depending on the nuance desired.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hard to keep in check

Focuses on the difficulty of restraining or limiting something.

difficult to regulate

Emphasizes the challenge in establishing and enforcing rules or guidelines.

not readily manageable

Highlights the lack of immediate or simple ways to handle something.

tough to get a handle on

Emphasizes the difficulty in understanding or gaining control over a situation.

resistant to management

Highlights the inherent opposition to being managed or directed.

defies easy control

Uses stronger wording to suggest an open resistance to being easily controlled.

poses control challenges

Focuses on problems originated when trying to control

difficult to rein in

Highlights the difficulty in limiting or restraining something that is already in motion.

eludes simple mastery

Emphasizes that full mastery of something is beyond simple reach.

not subject to easy command

Focuses on the difficulty of ordering or directing something effectively.

FAQs

How can I use "not easily controlled" in a sentence?

You can use "not easily controlled" to describe something that's difficult to manage or regulate. For example, "The spread of misinformation is "not easily controlled" on social media platforms".

What are some alternatives to "not easily controlled"?

Alternatives include "hard to manage", "difficult to regulate", or "resistant to management", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it better to use "not easily controlled" or "uncontrollable"?

"Not easily controlled" implies a degree of difficulty in managing something, while "uncontrollable" suggests it's impossible to manage. Choose the term that most accurately reflects the situation. The former implies that while difficult, is possible to exert some degree of control, the latter suggests that there is no way to control the subject.

When is it appropriate to use "not easily controlled" in formal writing?

It is appropriate in formal writing when describing systems, processes, or phenomena that present significant challenges in management or regulation. Ensure your context clearly establishes why and how something is "not easily controlled".