regulate

verb

reg·​u·​late ˈre-gyə-ˌlāt How to pronounce regulate (audio)
 also  ˈrā-
regulated; regulating

transitive verb

1
a
: to govern or direct according to rule
b(1)
: to bring under the control of law or constituted authority
(2)
: to make regulations for or concerning
regulate the industries of a country
2
: to bring order, method, or uniformity to
regulate one's habits
3
: to fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of
regulate the pressure of a tire
regulative
ˈre-gyə-ˌlā-tiv How to pronounce regulate (audio)
 also  ˈrā-
adjective
regulatory
ˈre-gyə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce regulate (audio)
 also  ˈrā-
adjective

Examples of regulate in a Sentence

The dam regulates the flow of water into the river. We need better laws to regulate the content of the Internet. Laws have been made to regulate working conditions. The government regulates how much lead may be found in our water supply. The department regulates foreign trade.
Recent Examples on the Web Congress is allowed to modify maritime law, Smith said in reference to the U.S. regulating entry into the sunken Titanic. CBS News, 14 Mar. 2024 Although grouping would capture about 1,000 of the most toxic chemicals in plastics, Wagner said, that still leaves about 2,600 chemicals that still need to be regulated. Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 The industry has lobbied for more favorable regulations, including allowing the markets to be regulated by the smaller Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Laura J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 High-risk applications, including the use of AI in hiring or law enforcement, will be more tightly regulated, with developers required to show that their models are safe and transparent and adhere to privacy regulations. Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 Image There wasn’t any legislation last year in the aftermath of a fiery hearing with Shou Chew, TikTok’s chief executive, despite bipartisan support to regulate the app. Annie Karni, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Parents of younger teens are more likely to regulate their children’s screen time (62%) compared to parents of older teens (37%). Parents, 12 Mar. 2024 So will the federal government step in to regulate them? Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements like prescription drugs. Barbie Cervoni, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'regulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Late Latin regulatus, past participle of regulare, from Latin regula rule

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of regulate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near regulate

Cite this Entry

“Regulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regulate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

regulate

verb
reg·​u·​late ˈreg-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce regulate (audio)
regulated; regulating
1
a
: to govern or direct according to rule
b
: to bring under the control of authority
regulate prices
2
: to bring order or method to
regulate one's habits
3
: to fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of
regulate the pressure of a tire
the brain regulates the heartbeat
regulator
-ˌlāt-ər
noun
regulatory
-lə-ˌtōr-ē How to pronounce regulate (audio)
-ˌtȯr-
adjective
Etymology

from Latin regulatus, past participle of regulare "to regulate, direct," from regula "a rule, straightedge" — related to rail entry 1, regent, rule

Medical Definition

regulate

transitive verb
reg·​u·​late ˈreg-yə-ˌlāt How to pronounce regulate (audio)
regulated; regulating
1
: to control or direct according to rule or law
regulate the testing of experimental drugs
2
: to fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of
regulatory adjective

Legal Definition

regulate

transitive verb
reg·​u·​late
regulated; regulating
1
: to govern or direct according to rule
2
a
: to bring under the control of law
b
: to make regulations for or concerning

More from Merriam-Webster on regulate

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