regulatory
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to the control or direction of an activity by a set of rules, laws, etc..
The Coast Guard is to be commended for this current regulatory effort, as their proposed restriction addresses many concerns of the seafaring community.
-
of or relating to the adjustment of a device, system, or organic function so as to meet a standard or the requirements of good operation.
Earth's climate is a highly complex system with its own regulatory mechanisms.
Other Word Forms
- antiregulatory adjective
- nonregulatory adjective
- unregulatory adjective
Etymology
Origin of regulatory
Explanation
Regulatory describes something that holds you to the rules. Detention is regulatory, as are other kinds of punishments. When your mom tells you not to run in the house, she’s being regulatory. You’ll notice most of the word regulate is in regulatory. That’s because when something is regulatory, it’s regulated. You also might be reminded of the word regular. Things that are regulatory, like being forced to stay in for recess, are intended to keep things regular — no breaking rules, no breaking laws, no breaking at all. Things that are regulatory are meant to keep you from falling out of line.
Vocabulary lists containing regulatory
Top Ten Most Relevant Words from Republican Presidential Candidates' Debate - Nov. 10, 2015
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The Executive Branch at Work, Sections 1–3
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Vocabulary from the Ninth Republican Debate, February 13, 2016
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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.
Paramount has said it expects to gather all of the regulatory approvals by this summer.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2026
This new world is working well for a handful of sportsbooks, and for prediction markets that function as sportsbooks while enjoying a friendlier regulatory environment.
From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026
“It was always a concern but it was unpredictable because they didn’t have the legislative or regulatory basis,” Ross says.
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
The deal, which has met with resistance from Hollywood unions and some state attorneys general, is now awaiting regulatory approval.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
The combination of regulatory sequences and the protein-encoding sequence defined a gene.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
