self-regulate

American  

[self-reg-yuh-layt] / ˌsɛlfˈrɛg jəˌleɪt /

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

Etymology

Origin of self-regulate

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

self-regulate self-regulated self-regulating

“I don’t trust them to self-regulate at all,” Levin said of the companies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

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 ● Jan. 7, 2026

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 ● Dec. 23, 2025

But when school resumed in September, she said "there was a reduction of pastoral support, a reduction of being able to come out of class and self-regulate".

From BBC ● Dec. 9, 2025

So they are regulating two components which self-regulate each other.

From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2025

Until the passage of the Children’s Television Act in 1990, which wasn’t fully implemented until 1993, broadcast TV was largely unregulated — or, more accurately, was self-regulated.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2023

Skeptics of forest protection carbon credit programs note the market is largely self-regulated, and it’s easy for participants to exaggerate the benefits of a given project.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 30, 2023

Many scientists have proposed that Earth has self-regulated its temperature throughout history, but this has been difficult to prove.

From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2022

The experts pointed out that editorial misjudgements, and a culture which prioritises "scoops" over ethical standards, can flourish in an industry which remains largely self-regulated.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2022

Professionals are positive, action oriented, opened minded, poised, adaptable, respectful, self-regulated, empathic, organized, prepared, and collaborative.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

“The companies are moving very fast and external regulation is moving slower — the IPO event itself might be a self-regulating event,” Bala said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

The funeral industry in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is self-regulating, relying on voluntary codes and inspections by trade associations.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

This would be modeled after the self-regulating organization that oversees stockbrokers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

His "excessive reliance on the self-regulating aspects of markets seemed dangerously naive, and eventually blew up in his face and everybody's face," Blinder told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026

The self-regulating machine is not just a crucial step towards a whole series of more advanced technologies.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton