self-regulation

noun

self-reg·​u·​la·​tion ˌself-ˌre-gyə-ˈlā-shən 

-ˌre-gə-

also -ˌrā-

plural self-regulations

: the act or condition or an instance of regulating oneself or itself: such as

a

: control or supervision from within instead of by an external authority

the online marketing industry's self-regulation of consumer privacy protections

also : a rule imposed in self-regulation

Banks were left to largely manage themselves, and establish industry-wide self-regulations …

—Kevin Plummer

According to the Federal Trade Commission, food marketing cannot be false, deceptive or unfair. But there are other, more specific, self-regulations out there for ads related to kids.

—Alexandra Sifferlin

b

: the bringing of oneself or itself into a state of order, method, or uniformity

self-regulation of an ecosystem

emotional self-regulation

Examples of self-regulation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But whether lawmakers and regulators will be placated by industry self-regulation is a bet in and of itself. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 10 Nov. 2025

But, in October, 1988, Thatcher’s administration decided that her initial call for media self-regulation was not enough. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2025

Establishing simple daily habits and weekly routines helps kids build independence in problem-solving and self-regulation. —Ana Homayoun, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2025

Emotional intelligence, resilience and self-regulation are today’s leadership currencies. —Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 17 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-regulation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration