self-regulate

American  

[self-reg-yuh-leyt] / ˌsɛlfˈrɛg yəˌleɪt /

Also self regulate

verb (used with or without object)

self-regulated, self-regulating

1. to make necessary adjustments automatically or by means of built-in or internal mechanisms.

   She argued that state interventions do not allow the market to self-regulate through its own feedback loops.

   Our focus will be on finding ways to allow electronic systems to self-regulate the amount of energy they use.

2. to govern oneself by voluntarily creating and following one’s own rules or guidelines, as for a particular area of oversight.

   The transport agency is cracking down after years of relying on trucking companies to self-regulate their safety standards.

3. Psychology. to monitor and cope with one’s emotions, physical states, thoughts, and behavior in healthy, socially acceptable ways.

   We teach parents strategies to help their children learn to self-regulate.

   Eventually he began to self-regulate his feelings of anxiety and take more risks.

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Other Word Forms

• self-regulated adjective
• self-regulating adjective
• self-regulation noun
• self-regulative adjective
• self-regulatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-regulate

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

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

More than 8 in 10 Americans report they are able to self-regulate the amount of time they spend online, feel comfortable presenting their true selves online, and are capable of engaging constructively in online discussions.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This seems to be an overreach, and, in our view, the contractors don’t need to be regulated given contract structure and clearer demand signals self-regulate investments,” analysts from investment bank Jefferies’ wrote in a note to investors last week amid reports that an executive order was in the works.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Contractors don’t need to be regulated, given contract structure and clearer demand signals, self-regulate investments,” she wrote.

From Barron's

Her daughter had been given coloured paper to help her with her dyslexia and was allowed to leave lessons to self-regulate when overwhelmed, Becky said.

From BBC