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
Serotonin plays a crucial role in regulating mood and sleep patterns.
—
Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 9 May 2025
This is especially true in the current context where most countries are more focused on accelerating technology's capabilities than efforts to regulate it meaningfully and create societal guardrails.
—Yoshua Bengio, Time, 9 May 2025
Trauma, however, has a deep and lasting impact on the autonomic nervous system, the part of your body responsible for regulating stress and returning you to a state of calm.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Each day has a different theme, from nourishing the microbiome and naturally reducing bloat to regulating the nervous system through morning and evening rituals and debunking common gut health myths.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 8 May 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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Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 9 May 2025
This is especially true in the current context where most countries are more focused on accelerating technology's capabilities than efforts to regulate it meaningfully and create societal guardrails.
—Yoshua Bengio, Time, 9 May 2025
Trauma, however, has a deep and lasting impact on the autonomic nervous system, the part of your body responsible for regulating stress and returning you to a state of calm.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Each day has a different theme, from nourishing the microbiome and naturally reducing bloat to regulating the nervous system through morning and evening rituals and debunking common gut health myths.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 8 May 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 20 May. 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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