deregulation
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of deregulation
Explanation
A regulation is basically a rule or directive made by an authority. Deregulation is the removal, or cancellation, of certain rules or directives. (The prefix "de-" here means "remove.") Governments set lots of regulations to create order and uniformity in a particular industry, like banking or manufacturing. When bankers and manufacturers don't like these regulations, they ask the government for fewer controls and restrictions, or deregulation. If your parents are constantly meddling in your life and you would like them to give you a little more freedom, you might consider asking them for deregulation. Your vocabulary might just impress them enough to grant it.
Vocabulary lists containing deregulation
Vocabulary from President Trump's First Address to Congress
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Economics
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U.S. Government - Middle School and High School
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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.
To accomplish this deregulation, the group spent nearly $75,000 on lobbying efforts, according to their 2023, 2024 and 2025 state lobbying reports.
From Salon • Jul. 9, 2026
He says transport is a good example as Greater Manchester was the first area in England, outside of Greater London, to have local control of its bus network since deregulation in the 1980s.
From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026
“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
"Today's figures are just the tip of the iceberg," Vicky Cann of Corporate Europe Observatory said, adding: "This takes place in the midst of the biggest deregulation wave ever seen in the EU."
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
And economic deregulation of key industries like transportation has offered more chances—or choices, I should say, to consumers and new changes—or chances for entrepreneurs and protecting safety.
From State of the Union Address by Reagan, Ronald
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.
