regulate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to control or direct by a rule, principle, method, etc..
The statute is intended to regulate the business practices of architects by establishing a code of professional conduct.
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to adjust to some standard or requirement, as amount, degree, etc..
A film was applied to the windows to help regulate the temperature and reduce glare.
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to adjust so as to ensure accuracy of operation.
If the watch is consistently off, it can be fixed relatively simply by regulating the beat rate.
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to put or keep something in good order or within reasonable limits.
Playful interactions with adult caregivers help children develop the ability to regulate their emotions and behavior.
- Synonyms:
- balance
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Biology. to adjust or adapt (a bodily process or function) in response to external stimuli.
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Genetics. to control the expression of (a gene or genes).
verb
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to adjust (the amount of heat, sound, etc, of something) as required; control
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to adjust (an instrument or appliance) so that it operates correctly
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to bring into conformity with a rule, principle, or usage
Other Word Forms
- misregulate verb (used with object)
- nonregulated adjective
- nonregulative adjective
- overregulate verb
- preregulate verb (used with object)
- quasi-regulated adjective
- regulative adjective
- regulatively adverb
- regulatory adjective
- reregulate verb (used with object)
- unregulated adjective
- unregulative adjective
- well-regulated adjective
Etymology
Origin of regulate
First recorded in 1620–30, from Late Latin rēgulātus (past participle of rēgulāre “to direct”); regula, -ate 1
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.
Investors expect unregulated utilities to charge exorbitant prices to power AI data centers, but regulated utilities are safer.
From Barron's
Senate Bill 876 would double penalties during a declared emergency for violations of laws regulating claims practices, and would require insurers to pay restitution directly to policyholders.
From Los Angeles Times
Despite that setup, Kahyaoglu wrote capital controls were an overreach: “Contractors don’t need to be regulated, given contract structure and clearer demand signals, self-regulate investments.”
From Barron's
An arm of the Treasury Department, the OCC charters, regulates and supervises all national banks.
Manufactured homes are the only single-residence housing entirely regulated by the feds, since they can be transported across state lines.
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.
