self-regulate

American  

[self-reg-yuh-leyt] / 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

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

“People and the environment suffer when companies are left to self-regulate with weak voluntary standards,” the letter stated.

From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2025

The same year, the UK government resisted pressure to regulate loot boxes, saying the video game industry could self-regulate instead.

From BBC ● Nov. 28, 2024

When I’m in a bad mood or bored or lonely or tired, it’s hard for me to self-regulate without food.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2024

The inquiry found politicians and the press had been too close, and that a new self-regulated body independent of serving editors, government and business should be established.

From BBC ● Dec. 16, 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

But such campaigns have failed to result in significant change, and the IVF industry remains mostly self-regulated.

From Washington Post ● May 11, 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

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

McPhee marveled: “The industry is self-regulating and pays its own way.”

From Slate ● Apr. 20, 2026

This creates a self-regulating way to remove excess droplets and helps prevent water buildup that could interfere with performance.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 15, 2025

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