regulation

American  

[reg-yuh-lay-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

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Etymology

Origin of regulation

First recorded in 1665–75; regulate + -ion

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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

Carberry added the process was complex, saying that drafting job adverts is "best left to good employer practice rather than government regulation".

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

Observers say the years since the COVID-19 pandemic emergency have shown how tangled the industry’s regulation can get in L.A., so investors are taking their money to other cities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

The prospect of stricter regulation was weighing on stocks in AI heavyweights such as Elon Musk's SpaceX ahead of the US markets open, after drops for key chipmakers in Asia including Samsung in South Korea.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

Vitamin A is best known for supporting healthy vision, but it also plays important roles in cellular development, gene regulation, and nervous system function.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 3, 2026

“We had this huge mass of regulation and controls and bureaucracy,” he recalled.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

However, Heather West from the Eurasia Group consultancy said temporary bans on construction and new regulations might delay the data centre roll out, but would not stop it entirely.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

But investors are increasingly concerned that tougher regulations will make it harder for AI firms to make money off their massive investments.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

Attention is expected to shift to the next round of electricity tariff regulations, with its proposal likely to be submitted by mid-2027 and final details expected by year-end, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

In recent weeks, agreement has been struck on transition arrangements while the EU's new regulations come in to force.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Of course, the regulations said always travel over water if possible, but Holly could never resist knocking the snowcap from the highest Alp on her way past.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer

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Related Words

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

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