Control Key

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What Does Control Key Mean?

The Control key on a computer
keyboard is a key that is used by pressing it in combination with other keys, enabling other keys on the keyboard to perform secondary functions. It is generally labeled as Ctrl.

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Techopedia Explains Control Key

The Control key is one of the combination keys on a computer’s keyboard, similar to the Shift key. The user must press it down in combination with other keys. By doing so, certain commands are activated and actions are performed. The Control key thus serves as a shortcut for various commands.

Some of the most common control key shortcuts are:

  • Control key + C – to copy
  • Control key + X – to cut
  • Control key + V – to paste
  • Control key + B – to bold text
  • Control key + U – to underline text
  • Control key + I – to italicize text
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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.