regulate
verb
reg·u·late
ˈre-gyə-ˌlāt 
also ˈrā-
regulated; regulating
1
a
: to govern or direct according to rule
b(1)
: to bring under the control of law or constituted authority
(2)
: to make regulations for or concerning
regulate the industries of a country
2
: to bring order, method, or uniformity to
regulate one's habits
3
: to fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of
regulate the pressure of a tire
Synonyms
Examples of regulate in a Sentence
The dam regulates the flow of water into the river.
We need better laws to regulate the content of the Internet.
Laws have been made to regulate working conditions.
The government regulates how much lead may be found in our water supply.
The department regulates foreign trade.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lawmakers again failed to act on the issue early this year, despite Gov. JB Pritzker’s call for a law to crack down on hemp sales, and an alternate bill to license and regulate hemp stores.
—
Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Monitoring the rodents' brains, the team found that a group of appetite and regulating nerve cells called the pro-opiomelanocortin (PMOC) neurons lit up as soon as the mice were given sugar, and enabled their appetite.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
An environmental lawyer with no experience working in health administration or medicine, Kennedy will now oversee a sprawling network of agencies that provide health coverage to millions of Americans, regulate the food industry and respond to global health threats.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 13 Feb. 2025
Of these MUFAs, about 80% is oleic acid, which regulates antioxidant activity and promotes immune function.
—Lauren O'Connor, Ms, Health, 13 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for regulate 
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Robert McCoppin, Chicago Tribune, 14 Feb. 2025
Monitoring the rodents' brains, the team found that a group of appetite and regulating nerve cells called the pro-opiomelanocortin (PMOC) neurons lit up as soon as the mice were given sugar, and enabled their appetite.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025
An environmental lawyer with no experience working in health administration or medicine, Kennedy will now oversee a sprawling network of agencies that provide health coverage to millions of Americans, regulate the food industry and respond to global health threats.
—Alexandra Hutzler, ABC News, 13 Feb. 2025
Of these MUFAs, about 80% is oleic acid, which regulates antioxidant activity and promotes immune function.
—Lauren O'Connor, Ms, Health, 13 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for regulate
Dictionary Entries Near regulate
Cite this Entry
“Regulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regulate. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
regulate
verb
reg·u·late
ˈreg-yə-ˌlāt
regulated; regulating
1
a
: to govern or direct according to rule
b
: to bring under the control of authority
regulate prices
2
: to bring order or method to
regulate one's habits
3
: to fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of
regulate the pressure of a tire
the brain regulates the heartbeat
regulator
noun
-ˌlāt-ər
Etymology
from Latin regulatus, past participle of regulare "to regulate, direct," from regula "a rule, straightedge" — related to rail entry 1, regent, rule
Medical Definition
regulate
transitive verb
reg·u·late
ˈreg-yə-ˌlāt
regulated; regulating
1
: to control or direct according to rule or law
regulate the testing of experimental drugs
2
: to fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of
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