regulation

American  

[reg-yuh-ley-shuhn] / ˌrɛg jəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

regulations plural

1. a law, rule, or other order prescribed by authority, especially to regulate conduct.

   Safety regulations require the use of impact-resistant helmets.

2. the act of regulating or the state of being regulated.

   Adolescence is a potentially important time in the development of emotion regulation.

   Synonyms:

   adjustment, disposition, dispensation, management, direction

3. Sports. the normal, prescribed duration of a game according to the sport's regulations, exclusive of any extra innings, overtime period, etc..

   The Knicks tied the score in the final seconds of regulation, sending the game into overtime.

4. Biology. the internal response that an organism undergoes to adapt to external stimuli (distinguished from control).

   Regulation of blood flow is an essential mechanism for delivering oxygen and glucose to the tissues that need it most.

5. Genetics. the act or process of controlling the expression of genes.

   Scientists are hoping to discover whether viruses can be used to study gene regulation in mammalian cells.

6. Embryology. the process by which an embryo can continue to develop normally after it has been damaged.

   Added cells become normally integrated into the body of the host embryo, which provides additional evidence of embryonic regulation.

7. Electronics. the difference between maximum and minimum voltage drops between the anode and the cathode of a gas tube for a specified range of values of the anode current.

8. Machinery. the percentage difference in some quantity related to the operation of an apparatus or machine, as the voltage output of a transformer or the speed of a motor, between the value of the quantity at no-load operation and its value at full-load operation.

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adjective

1. prescribed by or conforming to regulation.

   regulation army equipment.

2. usual; normal; customary.

   the regulation decorations for a Halloween party.

3. Sports. during the normal, prescribed duration of a game.

   Both teams are entitled to two timeouts in each half of regulation play.

regulation British  

/ ˌrɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of regulating

2. a rule, principle, or condition that governs procedure or behaviour

3. a governmental or ministerial order having the force of law

4. embryol the ability of an animal embryo to develop normally after its structure has been altered or damaged in some way

5. (modifier) as required by official rules or procedure

   regulation uniform

6. (modifier) normal; usual; conforming to accepted standards

   a regulation haircut

7. electrical engineering the change in voltage occurring when a load is connected across a power supply, caused by internal resistance (for direct current) or internal impedance (alternating current)

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regulation Cultural  

1. Laws through which governments can control privately owned businesses.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonregulation
  noun
• overregulation
  noun
• reregulation
  noun
• superregulation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• regulations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of regulation

First recorded in 1665–75; regulate + -ion

Explanation

If you declare that Fridays are Pajama Day, did you create a regulation? No. A regulation is a rule put in place by some authority, such as a government. In fact, there might already be a regulation on the books: No pajamas in school. If you're trying to remember what a regulation is, think about the phrase "rules and regulations." Regulations are often set by governing bodies of a sport or other activity — thus, there is an accepted regulation-size soccer ball, set by FIFA, professional soccer's governing body. Many government agencies are in charge of "regulating" industries, setting up regulations that companies need to follow to keep us all safe.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

regulation regulations

This industry is extremely sensitive to financial regulation.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

KESSLER: It’s interesting how much we agree on a lot of things, including that I’d be in favor of an agent regulation system.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

This top down regulation suggests that decision making involves continuous communication across multiple brain areas instead of a simple one direction flow of information.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026

Domestic abuse charity Refuge is calling for tougher regulation of hidden surveillance devices and better police training to identify and investigate their use.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

The young prisoner responded, “Why do you have this regulation? What is the purpose of it?”

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Thailand's lax approach to health and safety regulations -- particularly in its bars and nightclubs -- has long raised concerns.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

However, Isola also admits to some nervousness due to the new regulations and tax regime, which he expects will have an impact on competitiveness.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Over time, new technologies and regulations prompted smaller exchanges to combine or shutter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

Despite concerns that California’s costs and regulations are bad for business, the state has attracted an unprecedented pile of capital this year, and no other state is even close.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Moreover, they hold the military arts in high regard, and they have many regulations for maintaining them.

From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli

Related Words

• adjustment
• arrangement
• control
• governance
• management
• settlement
• supervision