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Synonyms

regulation

American  
[reg-yuh-ley-shuhn] / ˌrɛg yəˈleɪ ʃən /

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 British  
/ 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)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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


Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of regulation

First recorded in 1665–75; regulate + -ion

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Golden Knights gave the Trailblazers a real scare with a chance to tie at the end of regulation.

From Los Angeles Times

Ouali criticized the regulations as antiquated and intended to benefit traditional media.

From Barron's

The California Department of Motor Vehicles said in a statement that it did not approve of Wednesday’s action and that it had been compliant with state and federal regulations.

From Los Angeles Times

Larger banks also face stress tests and other burdensome regulations that smaller banks don’t.

From The Wall Street Journal

About 4,000 Police Scotland officers have had restrictions placed on their driving at work, until they undergo training to comply with regulations that came into force three years ago.

From BBC