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

The destabilization of the pandemic and its social and cultural isolation drove folks of all ages and backgrounds to discover new tools for self-regulation. —Britt Julious, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026

Holding back a child can be a good option to allow children extra time to develop self-control and self-regulation skills vital for the classroom, said Stanford professor Thomas Dee, who has studied red-shirting. —Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026

And at Bangkok’s RXV Wellness Village, the Wellness Foundation for Kids Programme is an age-appropriate way for 6-year-olds and up to move their bodies, connect to their emotions, try hydrotherapy and develop self-regulation skills as their parents go through their own integrative health retreat. —Kathryn Romeyn, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026

Research in behavioral finance suggests that financial literacy, intentional budgeting habits, and self-regulation can meaningfully influence how closely an individual’s financial decisions align with their broader goals and personal values. —Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026

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