regulator

noun

reg·​u·​la·​tor ˈre-gyə-ˌlā-tər 

also ˈrā-

1

: one that regulates

2

: regulatory gene

Synonyms of regulator

• controller
• control

Examples of regulator in a Sentence

the voltage regulator will make sure your car's alternator gets the right amount of electricity

Recent Examples on the Web

The company contends that since US regulators didn’t require a cancer warning, federal law bars those types of suits. —Jef Feeley, Bloomberg, 26 Apr. 2026

At the facility, officials found several bodies in hazardous conditions inside the building that was later condemned and demolished by federal environmental regulators as a toxic waste site. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026

Chinese developers have moved faster—EHang received the world’s first eVTOL type certificate from Chinese regulators in 2023—but under a regulatory framework that Western airlines and aviation authorities don’t treat as equivalent. —Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 25 Apr. 2026

Tensions between the Justice Department and state bar regulators aren't new, said Susan Carle, law professor at American University. —Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing regulator

• growth regulator
• regulator gene

Rhymes for regulator

• activator
• actuator
• agitator
• alligator
• allocator
• alternator
• animator
• annotator
• applicator
• arbitrator
• aspirator
• aviator

Medical Definition

regulator

noun

reg·​u·​la·​tor ˈreg-yə-ˌlāt-ər 

1

: one that regulates

2

: regulatory gene

Legal Definition

regulator

noun

reg·​u·​la·​tor ˈre-gyə-ˌlā-tər 

: one (as a government agency) that regulates