regulate

verb

reg·u·late | \ˈre-gyə-ˌlāt also ˈrā-

regulated; regulating

Definition of regulate

transitive verb

1a : 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

Other Words from regulate Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about regulate

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Other Words from regulate

regulative \ ˈre-gyə-ˌlā-tiv

also ˈrā- \ adjective

regulatory \ ˈre-gyə-lə-ˌtȯr-ē

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

The self-locking boxes possess temperature-regulating technology to ensure the comfort of the infant until a person from inside the fire department can retrieve the child. — Jordyn Hermani, Indianapolis Star, "Baby is abandoned at fire department, which is what the firefighters want," 2 July 2018 Curtice also is president of the British Polling Council, a voluntary, self-regulating body that counts YouGov, Survation, ICM and the nation’s other major pollsters among its members. — Cam Simpson, Bloomberg.com, "Brexit’s Big Short: How Pollsters Helped Hedge Funds Beat the Crash," 25 June 2018 Besides weekly sessions speaking with a counselor, the lawsuit alleges the teen has received no further mental health treatment, such as medications that might help regulate his moods and behavior. — CBS News, "Young immigrants detained in Virginia allege they were beaten while cuffed, left nude in cells," 21 June 2018 Besides weekly sessions speaking with a counselor, the lawsuit alleges the teen has received no further mental health treatment, such as medications that might help regulate his moods and behavior. — Michael Biesecker, BostonGlobe.com, "Young immigrants detained in Virginia center allege abuse," 21 June 2018 Engineered cooling zones within the top also act as channels to help regulate body temperature alongside dryCELL technology, which help to pull any sweat away from the body. — SI.com, "PHOTO: Arsenal Launch Official Puma Away Kit Ahead of the 2018/19 Premier League Season," 7 June 2018 The ministry’s permanent secretary, Ed Chomba, said at a press conference that the borehole charges would cover administrative costs and help regulate water use in the face of climate change. — Danstan Kaunda, The Christian Science Monitor, "Facing prolonged droughts, Zambia regulates groundwater use," 16 May 2018 The hypothalamus helps regulate a number of important behavioral and physiological functions such as body temperature, eating and drinking habits, emotional well-being and sleep, according to the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. — Mark Lieber, CNN, "Maintaining a daily rhythm is important for mental health, study suggests," 15 May 2018 But the study found that the biggest performance differences were between female competitors with high and low T in the pole vault and hammer throw—two events that the IAAF decided not to regulate. — Eric Niiler, WIRED, "Testosterone Ruling for Athletes Fuels Debate Over ‘Natural’ Ability," 1 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'regulate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.