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Synonyms

deregulation

American  
[dee-reg-yuh-lay-shuhn] / diˌrɛg jəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

  1. the act or process of removing legislative controls or restrictions from an industry, commodity, etc..

    I predicted then that such a massive deregulation of the banking industry would seriously harm the economy.


Etymology

Origin of deregulation

de- ( def. ) + regulation ( def. )


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.

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Vocabulary lists containing deregulation

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:

Globalization opens up markets, and deregulation across state lines lets people expand across state borders.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

The Administration estimates its deregulation could save as much as $2.2 billion a year and add as many as 236,000 slots.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

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

Our economic deregulation program has achieved major successes in five areas: Airlines: The Airline Deregulation Act is generating healthy competition, saving billions in fares, and making the airlines more efficient.

From State of the Union Address by Jimmy Carter

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