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Synonyms

unregulated

British  
/ ʌnˈrɛɡjʊˌleɪtɪd /

adjective

  1. not regulated; uncontrolled

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Explanation

Whether it’s an economy, the fishing industry, or your cash flow, something that’s unregulated knows no bounds — there are no rules or restrictions in place. When you break the word unregulated down, it’s easy to figure out what it means. The prefix un- reverses an action, so here it means “not.” Then you have regulated, which describes something that has rules or people who check that things are working properly. So if something is unregulated, there are no rules or people making sure everything is right, like an unregulated restaurant that the board of health doesn't know about.

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Vocabulary lists containing unregulated

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.

Unregulated fares increased by 5.5% in the year to March 2025, 1.1% above regulated fares - with a total increase in rail fares of 5.1% in that period.

From BBC • Nov. 22, 2025

Unregulated rents increased 5.6 percent in the first quarter of 2025 compared to 2024.

From Barron's • Oct. 27, 2025

The EPA performs an annual set of studies known as the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule, of which this was the fifth iteration.

From Salon • Nov. 22, 2024

Unregulated glucose can be very dangerous, so diabetes patients must monitor their glucose levels and take insulin to lower it when necessary.

From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2024

Unregulated by the government, it had operated without rules or oversight, almost as its own country, and it had done as it pleased.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray