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 Phrases Containing regulate Learn More About regulate

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 Some advocates have expressed concern that the rule could be weakened or thrown out by the U.S. Supreme Court, which has recently sought to limit the government’s ability to regulate major issues. — Meris Lutz, ajc, 31 July 2022 The Supreme Court has limited the federal government's ability to regulate greenhouse gases, and tax breaks to spur low-carbon technologies have been stalled in the Senate. — David R. Baker, BostonGlobe.com, 30 July 2022 But in conducting research, Rudd realized that there were issues specific to suicide, like the ability to regulate the rapid onset of emotional pain, as well as feelings such as worthlessness or hopelessness. — Mario Aguilar, STAT, 28 July 2022 That effort takes away from our ability to emotionally regulate. — Hannah Smothers, SELF, 26 July 2022 In another setback for climate activists, the Supreme Court severely limited the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate climate-warming carbon dioxide from electric power plants. — New York Times, 17 July 2022 This economic disquiet was caused by stock speculation and oscillating levels of trust in the federal government’s ability to regulate cash flow and support banks. — al, 11 July 2022 The Supreme Court ruled, as expected, to limit the scope of the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate pollution last week by constraining the agency’s authority to areas explicitly approved by Congress. — Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 6 July 2022 As Professor Lawrence Gostin of Georgetown University maintains, the West Virginia v EPA case has repercussions that extend beyond the EPA’s ability to regulate the environment. — Joshua Cohen, Forbes, 5 July 2022 See More

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.