deregulate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
deregulates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deregulated,
past participle, past
-
deregulating
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
deregulates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deregulated,
past participle, past
-
deregulating
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
deregulatesimple
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deregulatessimple
-
have deregulatedperfect
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has deregulatedperfect
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am deregulatingprogressive
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are deregulatingprogressive
-
is deregulatingprogressive
-
have been deregulatingperfect progressive
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has been deregulatingperfect progressive
Past
-
deregulatedsimple
-
had deregulatedperfect
-
was deregulatingprogressive
-
were deregulatingprogressive
-
had been deregulatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deregulate
Explanation
Deregulate is a verb that means to take away the rules. When someone deregulates a soccer game, the game could become a muddy wrestling match without any rules to keep things on track. You’ll notice the word regulate at the end of deregulate. Regulate is also a verb, and it means to “control something by rules.” To deregulate something, you take away the rules. If you deregulate a game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey at your little sister’s birthday party, you could end up with a tail on your face.
Vocabulary lists containing deregulate
Relevant Vocabulary from Fourth Democratic Debate, January 17, 2016
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Vocabulary from the Seventh Democratic Debate, March 6, 2016
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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.
See Examples For:
In 1996, Lockyer entrusted Sher to serve on a joint Assembly-Senate conference committee that produced landmark legislation that sought to deregulate California’s electricity system.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
His victory will likely be welcomed by investors as he has pledged a free-market approach to economics to shrink the state and deregulate certain industries.
From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2025
In the late ’80s and ’90s, countries began to deregulate media, satellite dishes multiplied on roofs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025
In the 1990s and early 2000s, about half of U.S. states chose to deregulate their electricity markets, taking electricity generation out of the hands of monopoly utilities.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025
To meet increased competition from both EU and Central European countries, Austria will need to emphasize knowledge-based sectors of the economy, continue to deregulate the service sector, and lower its tax burden.
From The 2003 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
It also deregulates old programs, converts defense shipbuilding to commercial, competitive construction and negotiates to lower foreign subsidies.
From Time Magazine Archive
Airfares are going up now because of fuel prices, but airfares continue their downward real trend, in constant dollars, that started back in 1980 when the airlines were deregulated.
From Slate ● May 5, 2026
On top of “cheap and abundant land,” Texas has a uniquely deregulated energy grid, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 12, 2026
The committee's report said: "The current deregulated nature of the bus sector can encourage commercial operators to "deprioritise" less profitable routes, often leaving vulnerable communities without a service."
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2025
Second, it offers a “one-stop shop” for power given the deregulated utility environment in Texas.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2025
Suddenly deregulated, ecosystems shook and sloshed like a cup of tea in an earthquake.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
“He got in the driver’s seat when the deregulation trend was incipient. He was a champion of deregulating the financial industry.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Most importantly for the long term, we are seeing the EU lay the groundwork for a potential flourishing of capitalism by supporting technology and innovation and by reforming and deregulating where appropriate.
From Barron's ● Apr. 16, 2026
Europe has been focused on deregulating its banking system and spending in the industrial space, which has been influenced by defense, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 15, 2026
“The heart of it is making sure that we have sites ready so they”—companies that have been drawn to the state—“can build fast, deregulating so that they can move as fast as they possibly can.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
In fact, the biggest government initiative proposed in the document is deregulating food safety standards, which would make it easier for shady operations to sell goods at farmers markets.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2025
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
