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

We cannot rely on platforms to self-regulate when their core business model favors growth and engagement over transparency and safety.

From Salon

“The industry isn’t stupid here, and you are already seeing efforts to self-regulate,” said Eric Schmidt, the former Google chairman who served as the inaugural chairman of the advisory Defense Innovation Board from 2016 to 2020.

From New York Times

We wouldn't let pharmaceutical companies self-regulate.

From Salon

Section 230 basically gave tech companies the right to self-regulate.

From Salon

We certainly wouldn't let tobacco companies self-regulate.

From Salon