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.

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deregulation

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

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 21, 2026

"The fare cap is only going to address half the problem with the deregulation of bus services," she said.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

Those who argue that Greenspan helped deregulate the financial system have yet to explain when this deregulation occurred.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Mitchell was also named the president of the group, which was promising to “focus on policy areas like taxation, economic development incentives, deregulation and zoning at the state and local level.”

From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026

Privatization, deregulation, competition and liberalization swept across both parts of the continent.

From The Belgian Curtain Europe after Communism by Samuel Vaknin

Related Words

• free trade