deregulate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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deregulatesimple
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deregulatessimple
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have deregulatedperfect
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has deregulatedperfect
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am deregulatingprogressive
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are deregulatingprogressive
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is deregulatingprogressive
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have been deregulatingperfect progressive
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has been deregulatingperfect progressive
Past
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deregulatedsimple
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had deregulatedperfect
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was deregulatingprogressive
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were deregulatingprogressive
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had been deregulatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deregulate
Explanation
Deregulate is a verb that means to take away the rules. When someone deregulates a soccer game, the game could become a muddy wrestling match without any rules to keep things on track. You’ll notice the word regulate at the end of deregulate. Regulate is also a verb, and it means to “control something by rules.” To deregulate something, you take away the rules. If you deregulate a game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey at your little sister’s birthday party, you could end up with a tail on your face.
Vocabulary lists containing deregulate
Relevant Vocabulary from Fourth Democratic Debate, January 17, 2016
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Vocabulary from the Seventh Democratic Debate, March 6, 2016
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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:
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
In the 1990s and early 2000s, about half of U.S. states chose to deregulate their electricity markets, taking electricity generation out of the hands of monopoly utilities.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025
The White House said Trump is committed to making “American leadership in space great again,” noting his first-term push to return U.S. astronauts to the moon and his efforts to deregulate the U.S. space industry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2025
"State legislators might start thinking about it. In the past it was deemed very tough for a state to deregulate when the federal government still makes it a serious crime."
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2024
Oslo, a member of the European Free Trade Area, has applied for membership in the European Union and continues to deregulate and harmonize with EU regulations.
From The 1994 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency
It also deregulates old programs, converts defense shipbuilding to commercial, competitive construction and negotiates to lower foreign subsidies.
From Time Magazine Archive
Airfares are going up now because of fuel prices, but airfares continue their downward real trend, in constant dollars, that started back in 1980 when the airlines were deregulated.
From Slate ● May 5, 2026
A deregulated market in the US has enabled Fifa to run an official ticket resale platform for the tournament that will earn it an unprecedented 30% commission on every transaction.
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2025
The Telecommunications Act, which deregulated the industry with the aim of fostering competition and growth, “created the foundation for open markets, competition, safe and significant growth,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 14, 2025
Second, it offers a “one-stop shop” for power given the deregulated utility environment in Texas.
From Barron's ● Oct. 27, 2025
Suddenly deregulated, ecosystems shook and sloshed like a cup of tea in an earthquake.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
“He got in the driver’s seat when the deregulation trend was incipient. He was a champion of deregulating the financial industry.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
He aggressively pursued this goal, hosting hour-long conversations on the agency’s podcast and seeking experts for panels to advocate for deregulating treatments.
From Salon ● May 13, 2026
Europe has been focused on deregulating its banking system and spending in the industrial space, which has been influenced by defense, he said.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 15, 2026
“The heart of it is making sure that we have sites ready so they”—companies that have been drawn to the state—“can build fast, deregulating so that they can move as fast as they possibly can.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
At the same time, he made great strides in deregulating the economy and liberalizing trade.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025
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.
