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

No heat standard for businesses The Industrial Commission of Arizona, which regulates employment laws in the state, does not have specific standards about heat. — Robert Anglen, azcentral, "Phoenix Family Dollar store without air conditioning for weeks as temps eclipse 110," 17 July 2019 The three agencies that regulate marijuana need to do a better job communicating. — Washington Post, "California pot regulators struggling with job, audit says," 17 July 2019 No rule that regulates lawyers and legal practice would prevent any lawyer currently licensed in Maryland from taking the case, absent a conflict of interest. — Donna Engle, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Legal Matters: Don’t believe everything you read on the internet," 12 July 2019 Busch’s team identified a gene called EXOCYST70A3 that regulates auxin, without interfering with other pathways. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Salk Institute scientists get to the root of plant growth," 11 July 2019 Take France, which regulates religious apparel, and religion generally, in a stricter way than any other democracy. — Erasmus, The Economist, "Western governments are telling Muslim women not to cover up," 10 July 2019 But more typically, laws that regulate pollutant discharge apply to pollutants like solid waste in general, not nurdles specifically. — Julissa Treviño, WIRED, "Little Plastic 'Nurdles' Are Flooding Beaches and Waterways," 10 July 2019 Schrems originally filed his latest case with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner, which regulates Facebook in Europe. — Hadas Gold, CNN, "This European court case against Facebook could have implications far beyond tech," 9 July 2019 Arkansas Little Rock: A woman has been appointed to a full term on the commission that regulates hunting and fishing for the first time in state history. — USA TODAY, "Moon rocks, Misty of Chincoteague, Haiku Stairs: News from around our 50 states," 28 June 2019

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.