regulation

American  

[reg-yuh-ley-shuhn] / ˌrɛg jəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

• regulations
  plural

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 (distinguished from 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.

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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)

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regulation Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• regulations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of regulation

First recorded in 1665–75; regulate + -ion

Explanation

If you declare that Fridays are Pajama Day, did you create a regulation? No. A regulation is a rule put in place by some authority, such as a government. In fact, there might already be a regulation on the books: No pajamas in school. If you're trying to remember what a regulation is, think about the phrase "rules and regulations." Regulations are often set by governing bodies of a sport or other activity — thus, there is an accepted regulation-size soccer ball, set by FIFA, professional soccer's governing body. Many government agencies are in charge of "regulating" industries, setting up regulations that companies need to follow to keep us all safe.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

regulation regulations

He looked sideways at CEOs’ request for industry regulation, saying that the move might be a “Trojan Horse” masking their true intentions.

From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026

Amodei also called for increased regulation of the frontier AI labs, with a focus on “transparency and third-party auditing.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026

EXCLUSIVE: The act’s failure to progress leaves regulation of the cryptocurrency industry in the hands of government agencies and vulnerable to interpretation as administrations change, analysts said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

The DfT says it says the trials are "building the real-world evidence needed to get regulation right" and it will consult on longer-term rules, including registration and licensing requirements, within the next year.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

The young prisoner responded, “Why do you have this regulation? What is the purpose of it?”

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Parsons insists Eckert has studied the EFL's regulations, but also argues the rules could be clearer.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Obstacles to foreign capital include restrictions on ownership of infrastructure, energy facilities and real estate, as well as environmental and legal regulations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

"I really hope regulations come in a lot quicker than they did for social media. I don't know why the regulatory process is so slow."

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

Federal regulations don’t require prediction markets to follow that rule.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

Nearly all of the cases alleging racial profiling in drug-law enforcement were brought pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing regulations.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

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