DictionaryAI

regulate

verb
REG-yuh-layt/ˈɹɛɡjəleɪt/

Formsregulates, regulating, regulated

4 meanings of regulate

Practice

  1. 1
    verbtransitive
    To govern or direct something by means of rules, principles, or laws.

    Governments regulate how banks lend money so that customers are protected.

    The agency regulates food safety standards across the country.

    Similarcontrol, govern, manage, supervise

    Oppositederegulate

    Note

    Rule is built into the word. Latin regulō comes from regula, "rule", which in turn comes from regō, "to keep straight, govern". English borrowed it and let the native Old English metegian fall away. The subject can be an authority or the rule itself, as when Macaulay writes of "the laws which regulate the succession of the seasons." In the passive, things are regulated under a law, the way weapons are regulated under a statute.

  2. 2
    verbtransitive
    To adjust a mechanism so that it works accurately and properly.

    Skilled watchmakers regulate the movement so the timepiece keeps accurate time.

    He regulated the thermostat to maintain a steady temperature overnight.

    Similaradjust, calibrate, set, tune

    Note

    Here the rule being followed is a number. To regulate a watch is to adjust its rate, typically through the length of its balance spring or pendulum, so that it neither gains nor loses against standard time. The object can be the machine or the quantity it controls: you regulate the speed of a machine, the pressure of steam, the temperature of a room. Unlike the "rule or law" meaning, the target is a set value rather than a law.

  3. 3
    verbtransitive
    To put something into order, or to keep it in order over time.

    Breathing exercises can help you regulate your emotions during stressful moments.

    The body regulates its internal temperature automatically.

    Similarcontrol, manage, stabilize, balance

  4. 4
    verbtransitive
    To dictate the official policy that governs how an activity is conducted.

    Federal agencies regulate the pharmaceutical industry through strict policy.

    Lawmakers moved quickly to regulate the cryptocurrency market.

    Similarcontrol, govern, oversee, supervise

    Oppositederegulate

Practice

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Origin

Borrowed from Latin regulatus, the participle of regulō ("to direct, rule, regulate"), from regula ("rule"), which in turn comes from regō ("to keep straight, direct, govern, rule"). It displaced the native Old English metegian.