regulation

[reg-yuh-ley-shuhn]

noun

1. a law, rule, or other order prescribed by authority, especially to regulate conduct.

   Safety regulations require the use of impact-resistant helmets.

2. the act of regulating or the state of being regulated.

   Adolescence is a potentially important time in the development of emotion regulation.

   Synonyms: adjustment, disposition, dispensation, management, direction

3. Sports.,  the normal, prescribed duration of a game according to the sport's regulations, exclusive of any extra innings, overtime period, etc..

   The Knicks tied the score in the final seconds of regulation, sending the game into overtime.

4. Biology.,  the internal response that an organism undergoes to adapt to external stimuli (control ).

   Regulation of blood flow is an essential mechanism for delivering oxygen and glucose to the tissues that need it most.

5. Genetics.,  the act or process of controlling the expression of genes.

   Scientists are hoping to discover whether viruses can be used to study gene regulation in mammalian cells.

6. Embryology.,  the process by which an embryo can continue to develop normally after it has been damaged.

   Added cells become normally integrated into the body of the host embryo, which provides additional evidence of embryonic regulation.

7. Electronics.,  the difference between maximum and minimum voltage drops between the anode and the cathode of a gas tube for a specified range of values of the anode current.

8. Machinery.,  the percentage difference in some quantity related to the operation of an apparatus or machine, as the voltage output of a transformer or the speed of a motor, between the value of the quantity at no-load operation and its value at full-load operation.

adjective

1. prescribed by or conforming to regulation.

   regulation army equipment.

2. usual; normal; customary.

   the regulation decorations for a Halloween party.

3. Sports.,  during the normal, prescribed duration of a game.

   Both teams are entitled to two timeouts in each half of regulation play.

regulation

/ ˌrɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of regulating

2. a rule, principle, or condition that governs procedure or behaviour

3. a governmental or ministerial order having the force of law

4. embryol the ability of an animal embryo to develop normally after its structure has been altered or damaged in some way

5. (modifier) as required by official rules or procedure

   regulation uniform

6. (modifier) normal; usual; conforming to accepted standards

   a regulation haircut

7. electrical engineering the change in voltage occurring when a load is connected across a power supply, caused by internal resistance (for direct current) or internal impedance (alternating current)

regulation

1. Laws through which governments can control privately owned businesses.

Other Word Forms

• nonregulation noun
• overregulation noun
• reregulation noun
• superregulation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of regulation¹

First recorded in 1665–75; regulate + -ion

Example Sentences

McLaren's title last year was won at the final race under severe pressure from Ferrari, and as this is the final year of the current regulations, the teams were expected to converge further.

From BBC

One is Atsuko Okatsuka, who posted her invitation on social media, citing the hypocrisy of “the ‘you can’t say anything anymore!’ comedians . . . doing the festival” and agreeing to its censorship regulations.

From Salon

In each of the decisions, Roberts said Congress had not clearly authorized the disputed regulations.

From Los Angeles Times

The APT regulations have been updated and remain in place.

From BBC

The Post believed the ban was in breach of local government regulations, Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights - in relation to freedom of expression - and the council's own councillor code of conduct.

From BBC

Related Words

• adjustment 
• arrangement 
• control 
• governance 
• management 
• settlement 
• supervision