regulate

verb

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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 legislation will create the Office of Cannabis Management that will regulate the sale and distribution of both recreational and medical marijuana, which was legalized in 2014. — Ivan Pereira, ABC News, "New York state leaders agree to legalize recreational marijuana," 28 Mar. 2021 Most of the health benefits are found in the peel, but the fruit contains plenty of soluble fiber, water, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds that regulate the immune system. — Angela Watson, chicagotribune.com, "Foods that boost the immune system," 27 Mar. 2021 Rob Simmelkjaer, chairman of the Connecticut Lottery Corp., said officials must identify the agency that will regulate the new gambling. — Stephen Singer, courant.com, "Online sports betting in Connecticut could start in time for NFL kick-off in September," 22 Mar. 2021 The team also found mutations in genes that regulate sleep patterns, which could explain why giraffes in the wild only sleep 40 minutes per day and about 3 to 5 minutes at a time. — Sofia Moutinho, Science | AAAS, "Giraffe genome holds keys to its peculiar body—and clues to hypertension treatments," 17 Mar. 2021 Interleukins are a group of cytokines that regulate the immune and inflammatory responses. — Nina Shapiro, Forbes, "Asthma Biologic May Reduce Severe Attacks By More Than 50%," 1 Mar. 2021 The House voted 95-to-38 to override a veto issued last year by Gov. Larry Hogan, who objected to the board, which is designed to function like rate-setting boards that regulate what public utilities can charge residents. — Ed Silverman, STAT, "With a legislative vote, Maryland’s prescription drug affordability board moves forward," 12 Feb. 2021 The state of Alaska wants to change the rules that regulate water in salmon streams. — Anchorage Daily News, "One Alaska king salmon is worth the same as two barrels of oil right now," 9 Feb. 2021 For example, a boost in heat might tell proteins to fold or unfold, drive certain enzymatic reactions or provide feedback to channels that regulate calcium levels in muscles. — Alla Katsnelson, Scientific American, "Mysterious Heat Spikes inside Cells Are Probed with Tiny Diamonds," 15 Jan. 2021

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.