Control vs. Submission — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 25, 2024
Control involves exercising authority or influence over others or situations, while submission is the act of yielding to the authority or will of another.
Difference Between Control and Submission
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Control is characterized by the ability to direct or influence behavior and outcomes, whereas submission involves accepting or adhering to someone else’s control or authority.
In a workplace setting, control might manifest as a manager dictating team roles and tasks, while submission could be seen in employees adhering to these directives without objections.
The concept of control often implies a position of power or responsibility, whereas submission suggests a willingness to comply with the decisions or demands of others.
Control can be necessary for leadership, ensuring that plans are executed efficiently, while submission can be crucial for maintaining harmony and order within a group.
Relationships that are based on mutual respect can balance control and submission, allowing for effective leadership without undermining individual autonomy.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Exercising authority to direct or manage
Yielding to the authority or will of another
Typical Context
Leadership, management, governance
Compliance, obedience, deference
Implication
Authority, power
Compliance, acceptance
Desirable Outcome
Effective decision-making, leadership
Harmony, respect for authority
Negative Connotation
Overbearing, dictatorial
Subservience, weakness
Compare with Definitions
Control
The power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events.
She took control of the project to steer it back on track.
Submission
The action of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the authority or will of another person.
Her submission to the committee’s decision was expected.
Control
A state where one's emotions or actions are self-regulated.
Despite the chaos, he kept his control.
Submission
A state of being passive or subdued.
In submission, the captive agreed to follow the rules.
Control
The ability to manage a device, mechanism, or system.
He had full control over the software’s functions.
Submission
The act of surrendering or resigning oneself to a condition or situation.
His submission to the inevitable was poignant.
Control
Dominance over an area or people.
The company maintained strict control over its intellectual properties.
Submission
Legal or formal compliance by obedience or yielding.
His submission to the court was well-prepared.
Control
The means of limiting or regulating something.
The government put new controls on alcohol sales.
Submission
The act of presenting a document, proposal, or application for consideration or judgment.
The architect’s submission for the building plan was approved.
Control
The power to influence or direct people's behaviour or the course of events
The whole operation is under the control of a production manager
The situation was slipping out of her control
Submission
The action of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person
They were forced into submission
Control
A person or thing used as a standard of comparison for checking the results of a survey or experiment
Platelet activity was higher in patients with the disease than in the controls
Submission
The action of presenting a proposal, application, or other document for consideration or judgement
Reports should be prepared for submission at partners' meetings
Control
A member of an intelligence organization who personally directs the activities of a spy
He sat with his KGB control as the details of his new assignment were explained
Submission
The act or fact of submitting to the power of another
An army laying siege to a town to compel its submission.
A dog bowing its head in submission.
Control
A high card that will prevent the opponents from establishing a particular suit
He has controls in both minor suits
Submission
The act of submitting something for consideration.
Control
Determine the behaviour or supervise the running of
He was appointed to control the company's marketing strategy
Submission
Something so submitted
Read three fiction manuscripts and several other submissions.
Control
Take into account (an extraneous factor that might affect the results of an experiment)
No attempt was made to control for variations
Submission
The act of submitting or yielding; surrender.
Control
To exercise authoritative or dominating influence over; direct
The majority party controls the legislative agenda.
Submission
The act of submitting or giving e.g. a completed piece of work.
Any submissions received after Friday will have marks deducted for lateness.
Control
To adjust to a requirement; regulate
Rules that control trading on the stock market.
Valves that control the flow of water.
Submission
The thing which has been submitted.
Control
To hold in restraint; check
Struggled to control my temper.
Submission
A submission hold in wrestling, mixed martial arts, or other combat sports.
Control
To reduce or prevent the spread of
Used a pesticide to control insects.
Controlled the fire by dousing it with water.
Submission
A subset or component of a mission.
Control
To verify or regulate (a scientific experiment) by conducting a parallel experiment or by comparing with another standard.
Submission
The act of submitting; the act of yielding to power or authority; surrender of the person and power to the control or government of another; obedience; compliance.
Submission, dauphin! 't is a mere French word;We English warrious wot not what it means.
Control
To verify (a financial account, for example) by using a duplicate register for comparison.
Submission
The state of being submissive; acknowledgement of inferiority or dependence; humble or suppliant behavior; meekness; resignation.
In all submission and humilityYork doth present himself unto your highness.
No duty in religion is more justly required by God . . . than a perfect submission to his will in all things.
Control
Authority or ability to manage or direct
Lost control of the skidding car.
The leaders in control of the country.
Submission
Acknowledgement of a fault; confession of error.
Be not as extreme in submissionAs in offense.
Control
One that controls; a controlling agent, device, or organization.
Submission
An agreement by which parties engage to submit any matter of controversy between them to the decision of arbitrators.
Control
An instrument.
Submission
Something (manuscripts or architectural plans and models or estimates or works of art of all genres etc.) submitted for the judgment of others (as in a competition);
Several of his submissions were rejected by publishers
What was the date of submission of your proposal?
Control
Controls A set of such instruments.
Submission
The act of submitting; usually surrendering power to another
Control
A restraining device, measure, or limit; a curb
A control on prices.
Price controls.
Submission
The condition of having submitted to control by someone or something else;
The union was brought into submission
His submission to the will of God
Control
A standard of comparison for checking or verifying the results of a scientific experiment.
Submission
The feeling of patient submissive humbleness
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.
Submission
A legal document summarizing an agreement between parties in a dispute to abide by the decision of an arbiter
Control
An intelligence agent who supervises or instructs another agent.
Submission
An agreement between parties in a dispute to abide by the decision of an arbiter
Control
A spirit presumed to speak or act through a medium.
Submission
(law) a contention presented by a lawyer to a judge or jury as part of the case he is arguing
Control
(transitive) To exercise influence over; to suggest or dictate the behavior of.
With a simple remote, he could control the toy truck.
Control
(construed with for) To design (an experiment) so that the effects of one or more variables are reduced or eliminated.
Control
To verify the accuracy of (something or someone, especially a financial account) by comparison with another account.
Control
To call to account, to take to task, to challenge.
Control
(transitive) To hold in check, to curb, to restrain.
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?
Common Curiosities
What is the main difference between control and submission?
Control is about exercising authority and directing, while submission is about accepting and yielding to authority.
Can a relationship have both control and submission?
Yes, healthy relationships often involve a balance of control and submission, allowing for mutual respect and understanding.
Is control always negative?
No, control can be positive when used responsibly to guide or protect others without being oppressive.
How can one manage control in leadership without being overbearing?
Effective leaders manage control by encouraging teamwork, listening to feedback, and being flexible in decision-making.
What are the benefits of submission in a professional setting?
Submission in professional settings can lead to improved order and efficiency by respecting established hierarchies and protocols.
Can too much control affect team morale?
Yes, excessive control can stifle creativity and initiative, negatively impacting team morale and productivity.
Why is control important in organizational management?
Control is crucial for ensuring that organizational goals are met and resources are used efficiently.
Is submission a sign of weakness?
Submission is not inherently a sign of weakness; it can be a strategic or respectful decision in certain contexts.
What role does submission play in conflict resolution?
Submission can play a constructive role in conflict resolution by allowing one party to prioritize harmony and solutions over personal ego.
What are the psychological impacts of excessive submission?
Excessive submission can lead to feelings of powerlessness, low self-esteem, and dependency.
How can one balance control and submission in a relationship?
Balancing control and submission involves clear communication, mutual respect, and understanding each other’s needs and boundaries.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
