regulate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
regulates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
regulated,
past participle, past
-
regulating
present participle
-
to control or direct by a rule, principle, method, etc..
The statute is intended to regulate the business practices of architects by establishing a code of professional conduct.
-
to adjust to some standard or requirement, as amount, degree, etc..
A film was applied to the windows to help regulate the temperature and reduce glare.
- Synonyms:
- set
-
to adjust so as to ensure accuracy of operation.
If the watch is consistently off, it can be fixed relatively simply by regulating the beat rate.
-
to put or keep something in good order or within reasonable limits.
Playful interactions with adult caregivers help children develop the ability to regulate their emotions and behavior.
- Synonyms:
- balance
-
Biology. to adjust or adapt (a bodily process or function) in response to external stimuli.
-
Genetics. to control the expression of (a gene or genes).
verb
-
to adjust (the amount of heat, sound, etc, of something) as required; control
-
to adjust (an instrument or appliance) so that it operates correctly
-
to bring into conformity with a rule, principle, or usage
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
overregulateverb
-
misregulateverb (used with object)
-
preregulateverb (used with object)
-
reregulateverb (used with object)
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nonregulatedadjective
-
nonregulativeadjective
-
quasi-regulatedadjective
-
regulativeadjective
-
regulatoryadjective
-
unregulatedadjective
-
unregulativeadjective
-
well-regulatedadjective
-
regulativelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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regulatesimple
-
regulatessimple
-
have regulatedperfect
-
has regulatedperfect
-
am regulatingprogressive
-
are regulatingprogressive
-
is regulatingprogressive
-
have been regulatingperfect progressive
-
has been regulatingperfect progressive
Past
-
regulatedsimple
-
had regulatedperfect
-
was regulatingprogressive
-
were regulatingprogressive
-
had been regulatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of regulate
First recorded in 1620–30, from Late Latin rēgulātus (past participle of rēgulāre “to direct”); see regula, -ate 1
Explanation
The on-off spigot regulates the flow of water into your bathtub. When a government regulates an industry, they set standards the industry must follow. To regulate means to impose control. Regulate shares a root with the word, regular. When the transit authority regulates a train schedule, it makes sure trains arrive on a more regular schedule. The pharmaceutical industry is heavily regulated –– before a drug can be marketed, it must be tested. On a more personal level, if you want to regulate your digestive system, try eating more fiber... or prunes!
Vocabulary lists containing regulate
Florida EOC Civics
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The Articles of Confederation (1777)
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This Week In Words: September 5–11, 2020
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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:
The controversy emphasized how California, where shelters are overflowing with animals, failed to regulate private rescue groups.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
Under normal circumstances, IL-10 acts as a chemical messenger between cells, helping the immune system regulate inflammation.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 26, 2026
The first is trauma bonding — people using others to regulate their emotions.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 25, 2026
Like many others, he wants governments to regulate AI.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
If not, I’ll have to regulate because as far as I’m concerned, they’re the ones on probation in my and how many friends I have made because of it.
From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers
Made up of tightly connected cells surrounding the brain's blood vessels, it carefully regulates which substances can enter brain tissue while helping maintain conditions necessary for removing potentially harmful waste.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
Botswana also tightly regulates game meat, and its legal possession generally depends on proving it came from a lawful hunt.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
The agency regulates broadcast channels that are delivered over the public airwaves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
Brighthouse’s insurance business is based in Delaware, the state that also regulates the two Walter insurance companies under investigation, Delaware Life and Clear Spring Life and Annuity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
He ran a test on one of their neurotransmitters that regulates dopamine, which in turn is associated with attention.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
Most importantly, it’s very well regulated by my former agency and relatively free of fraud and manipulation.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
Yet when prediction markets started offering customers access to a regulated peer-to-peer exchange, state regulators who oversee casinos brought lawsuits supposedly to protect consumers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Together, the behavioral observations and experimental tests provided strong evidence that Portia fimbriata experiences regulated sleep with distinct stages.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
Lawson, who owns six horses, pointed out that New York City carriages were the most regulated in the country and said horses enjoyed the stimulation.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
He didn’t know how it worked yet, but his discovery showed that something in cells regulated genes.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Norepinephrine plays a central role in regulating attention and mood, making it an important target for medications used to treat depression, anxiety, and ADHD.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026
Animal-rights activists have long called for banning or regulating the use of horses to pull carriages in New York City and have called the practice inhumane.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
"I can't see how regulating it is going to bring costs down."
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026
Together, they help control how much growth hormone enters the bloodstream, largely by regulating its release from the pituitary gland, a small hormone-producing structure at the base of the brain.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
When Gong demanded a feed dog—a crucial part of a sewing machine that controls stitch size by regulating the speed of fabric moving to the needle—from a seamstress who worked with Shin, she curtly refused.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
