self-regulate

verb

self-reg·​u·​late ˌself-ˈre-gyə-ˌlāt 

also -ˈrā-

self-regulated; self-regulating; self-regulates

1

intransitive : to regulate oneself or itself

allowing markets to self-regulate

… noted the overwhelming lack of public trust in the financial services industry's ability to self-regulate effectively …

—Sally Rose

The idea is that the kids learn how to manage and self-regulate.

—Cheyenne Derksen Schroeder

2

transitive : to control or govern (something) for or by oneself

… was hired by the motion picture industry to head up a new body to self-regulate the movies.

—Katharine Monk

the ability of the child to self-regulate her behavior

… a horse who is permitted to self-regulate his intake will eat only what his body needs.

—Juliet M. Getty

self-regulative

ˌself-ˈre-gyə-ˌlā-tiv 

also -ˈrā-

adjective

self-regulative processes

Examples of self-regulate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This sets a self-regulating Eddington limit, which is, in essence, a speed limit on how fast gas can flow in. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 23 Jan. 2026

Partners who self-regulate are perceived as more attractive, stable and emotionally safe. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026

When choosing your heating cables, Yost recommends self-regulating cables, which automatically sense and adjust their temperature to melt frozen spots and keep water moving in the gutters. —Kamron Sanders, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2026

Independence-building tasks support a person’s ability to plan ahead, set a sequence for action, and to self-regulate. —Jose Bolanos, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for self-regulate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate