regulate
verb
reg·u·late
ˈre-gyə-ˌlāt 
also ˈrā-
regulated; regulating
1
a
: 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
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
These entities have proliferated ever since the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case, which effectively struck down longtime campaign finance regulations that sought to limit and regulate spending on political campaigns.
—
M.l. Elrick, Freep.com, 21 July 2025
Help available for crashing out, including interventions such as therapy, as well as learning how to regulate emotions better and practicing self-care during times of significant stress.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 20 July 2025
In every case, the central question judges have had to decide is whether local or state governments can be allowed to essentially regulate air emissions, which have always been regulated at the national level for compelling reasons.
—David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
Some people may become less empathetic, while others may have a hard time regulating their emotions.
—Janelle McSwiggin, Health, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for regulate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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M.l. Elrick, Freep.com, 21 July 2025
Help available for crashing out, including interventions such as therapy, as well as learning how to regulate emotions better and practicing self-care during times of significant stress.
—Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 20 July 2025
In every case, the central question judges have had to decide is whether local or state governments can be allowed to essentially regulate air emissions, which have always been regulated at the national level for compelling reasons.
—David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
Some people may become less empathetic, while others may have a hard time regulating their emotions.
—Janelle McSwiggin, Health, 20 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for regulate
Cite this Entry
“Regulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regulate. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
regulate
verb
reg·u·late
ˈreg-yə-ˌlāt
regulated; regulating
1
a
: to govern or direct according to rule
b
: to bring under the control of authority
regulate prices
2
: to bring order or method to
regulate one's habits
3
: to fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of
regulate the pressure of a tire
the brain regulates the heartbeat
regulator
noun
-ˌlāt-ər
Etymology
from Latin regulatus, past participle of regulare "to regulate, direct," from regula "a rule, straightedge" — related to rail entry 1, regent, rule
Medical Definition
regulate
transitive verb
reg·u·late
ˈreg-yə-ˌlāt
regulated; regulating
1
: to control or direct according to rule or law
regulate the testing of experimental drugs
2
: to fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of
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