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

Third, overuse of most addictive substances progressively damages the brain’s executive control network, the prefrontal cortex, and other key parts of the brain involved in impulse control and self-regulation. —Claire Wilcox, The Conversation, 10 Oct. 2025

In short, children who play Simon Says have to practice important cognitive skills, such as attention, listening, language, comprehension, self-regulation, following directions, decision-making, and more. —Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 17 Sep. 2025

Weakened self-regulation and well-being. —Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

The Las Vegas formula of maximalism—24/7 noise, crowds, queues, and constant spend—clashes with a mood that prizes sleep, space, and self-regulation. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 8 Sep. 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