self-regulating

[ self-reg-yuh-ley-ting, self- ]

adjective

1. adjusting, ruling, or governing itself without outside interference; operating or functioning without externally imposed controls or regulations:

   a self-regulating economy; the self-regulating market.

2. functioning automatically:

   a self-regulating machine.

self-regulating

adjective

1. (of a business, society, etc) enforcing or upholding its own rules and laws without external agency of intervention

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-regulating¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

In the three years since the Taliban takeover, it's become clear that even if edicts aren’t strictly imposed, people start self-regulating out of fear.

From BBC

Its new rule said bump stocks were illegal machine guns because they function as “a self-acting or self-regulating mechanism that allows the firing of multiple rounds through a single function of the trigger.”

From Los Angeles Times

"We recycle the fuel through our reactor multiple times, dealing with the waste, and the new reactors cannot melt-down, they are self-cooling and self-regulating."

From BBC

With 0.05%, “I think the studies show that people will be better at self-regulating, that they will say, ‘Oh, I need a designated driver,’” she said.

From Seattle Times

It said the bump stock device functions as “a self-acting or self-regulating mechanism that allows the firing of multiple rounds through a single pull of the trigger.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• automated
• electric
• electronic
• mechanical