regulate
Americanverb (used with object)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Biology. to adjust or adapt (a bodily process or function) in response to external stimuli.
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Genetics. to control the expression of (a gene or genes).
verb
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to adjust (the amount of heat, sound, etc, of something) as required; control
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to adjust (an instrument or appliance) so that it operates correctly
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to bring into conformity with a rule, principle, or usage
Other Word Forms
- misregulate verb (used with object)
- nonregulated adjective
- nonregulative adjective
- overregulate verb
- preregulate verb (used with object)
- quasi-regulated adjective
- regulative adjective
- regulatively adverb
- regulatory adjective
- reregulate verb (used with object)
- unregulated adjective
- unregulative adjective
- well-regulated adjective
Etymology
Origin of regulate
First recorded in 1620–30, from Late Latin rēgulātus (past participle of rēgulāre “to direct”); regula, -ate 1
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.
Fine control over surface texture could help regulate friction, allowing small robots to either grip surfaces or slide across them.
From Science Daily
She lost her case at the appeals court, which held that Colorado’s law merely regulates conduct by medical professionals.
She wrote that the majority’s ruling “opens a dangerous can of worms” that “threatens to impair states’ ability to regulate the provision of medical care in any respect.”
From Salon
“States have traditionally regulated the provision of medical care through licensing schemes and malpractice regimes without constitutional incident,” she continued.
From Los Angeles Times
On social media, commentators have pointed out the cost of cemetery plots and queried how the new law will be regulated.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
