The invention relates to a control device applied to an engine including a controlled object and for controlling the operation state of the controlled object such that the controlled output from the controlled object corresponds to the target controlled output. In the invention, when the reference engine state parameter is maintained constant during the predetermined time period and it is predicted that the reference engine state parameter changes at the predetermined time period having elapsed, the primary or secondary predicted controlled output which satisfies the output control condition at the predetermined time period having elapsed assuming that the reference engine state parameter does not change during the predetermined time period is calculated as a look-ahead predicted controlled output and then, the target controlled output setting logic for performing the functions of the target controlled output setting architecture is corrected on the basis of the look-ahead predicted controlled output.