reg·u·la·tion
ˌre-gyə-ˈlā-shən 
ˌre-gə-,
also ˌrā-
1
: the act of regulating : the state of being regulated
2
a
: an authoritative rule dealing with details or procedure
safety regulations
b
: a rule or order issued by an executive authority or regulatory agency of a government and having the force of law
3
a
: the process of redistributing material (as in an embryo) to restore a damaged or lost part independent of new tissue growth
b
: the mechanism by which an early embryo maintains normal development
4
a
or regulation time
: the standard period of time established by the rules of a game or contest excluding overtime
Trailing by five with less than a minute to go in regulation, Boston forced the game into overtime …—
Bob Ryan
Bob RyanDallas downed the ball at the 20 with 1:47 left in regulation.—Ralph N. Paulk
Ralph N. Paulk… there will be a change in France for the 1988 World Cup: a sudden-death … period after regulation time.—George Vecsey
George Vecsey
b
golf
: the standard number of strokes allowed by par for reaching the green on a given hole (that is, one stroke on a par 3, two strokes on a par 4, and three strokes on a par 5)
Using his conservative left-to-right fade, he hit all but three greens in regulation.—Jaime Diaz
Jaime Diaz
: conforming to regulations : official
Synonyms
Examples of regulation in a Sentence
Noun
Builders must comply with the regulations.
regulations on the disposal of waste
Each agency has its own set of rules and regulations.
Adjective
Students must wear regulation uniforms.
Recent Examples on the Web
Pat Maio, Orange County Register, 16 Nov. 2024
Last week, bond yields surged on expectations that President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to lower tax rates, increase tariffs and reduce regulation could ultimately lead to higher U.S. government debt and inflation, along with faster economic growth.
—Alex Veiga, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
James Call, USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2023
The swearing in of Commissioner Mary T. Boyle in June brought the commission up to full strength, with a 3-2 split in favor of Democratic appointees who are expected to take an aggressive enforcement stance in line with the Biden administration’s pro-regulation agenda.
—Dean Seal, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for regulation 
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Noun
The president-elect, who has vowed to end federal policies that encourage EV sales, has previously targeted environmental regulations that mandate lower-pollution emissions.
—Pat Maio, Orange County Register, 16 Nov. 2024
Last week, bond yields surged on expectations that President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to lower tax rates, increase tariffs and reduce regulation could ultimately lead to higher U.S. government debt and inflation, along with faster economic growth.
—Alex Veiga, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Democrat amendments squashed Democrats and pro-regulation groups argued the measure lacks any awareness of the common good, and prioritizes political ambitions and corporate profits over people’s lives.
—James Call, USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2023
The swearing in of Commissioner Mary T. Boyle in June brought the commission up to full strength, with a 3-2 split in favor of Democratic appointees who are expected to take an aggressive enforcement stance in line with the Biden administration’s pro-regulation agenda.
—Dean Seal, WSJ, 7 Sep. 2022
See all Example Sentences for regulation
Dictionary Entries Near regulation
Cite this Entry
“Regulation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regulation. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
regulation
1 of 2 noun
reg·u·la·tion
ˌreg-yə-ˈlā-shən
1
: the act of regulating : the state of being regulated
2
a
: a rule or order telling how something is to be done
safety regulations in a factory
b
: a rule or order having the force of law
regulation
2 of 2 adjective
: being in agreement with regulations
a regulation baseball
Medical Definition
regulation
noun
reg·u·la·tion
ˌreg-yə-ˈlā-shən, ˌreg-ə-ˈlā-
1
: the act of regulating
also
: the resulting state or condition
2
a
: the process of redistributing material (as in an embryo) to restore a damaged or lost part independent of new tissue growth compare regeneration sense 2
b
: the mechanism by which an early embryo maintains normal development
3
: the control of the kind and rate of cellular processes by controlling the activity of individual genes
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