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
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
The infrastructures of capitalism now flow through cables and cloud servers that states have been slow and economically disincentivized to regulate.
—
Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
Alhambra noted that the memo also said that under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act — a federal law that regulates internal labor union affairs — unions hold the money solely for the benefit of the organization and its members.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
When conditions allow, mechanical ventilation is reduced and the facade’s bronze blades open to enable natural airflow, with sensors regulating it to maintain comfort and avoid drafts.
—Emanuel Gana, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
This enzyme plays a role in regulating LDL levels in the blood.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for regulate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
Alhambra noted that the memo also said that under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act — a federal law that regulates internal labor union affairs — unions hold the money solely for the benefit of the organization and its members.
—Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
When conditions allow, mechanical ventilation is reduced and the facade’s bronze blades open to enable natural airflow, with sensors regulating it to maintain comfort and avoid drafts.
—Emanuel Gana, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
This enzyme plays a role in regulating LDL levels in the blood.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for regulate
Cite this Entry
“Regulate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regulate. Accessed 29 May. 2026.
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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