verb
Meaning 1
To dictate policy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
regulate
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛɡ.jʊ.leɪt/
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General-American: /ˈɹɛɡ.jə.leɪt/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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CMU ARPABET: R EH1 G Y AH0 L EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
verb
Meaning 2
To control or direct according to rule, principle, or law.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To adjust (a mechanism) for accurate and proper functioning.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- to regulate a watch, i.e. adjust its rate of running so that it will keep approximately standard time
- to regulate the temperature of a room, the pressure of steam, the speed of a machine, etc.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To put or maintain in order.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- to regulate the disordered state of a nation or its finances
- to regulate one's eating habits
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
check the emission of (sound)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: baffle
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: restrict, restrain, trammel, limit, bound, confine, throttle
verb
Meaning 6
fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- regulate the temperature
- modulate the pitch
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: modulate
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: adjust, set, correct
verb
Meaning 7
shape or influence; give direction to
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- experience often determines ability
- mold public opinion
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: determine, shape, mold, influence
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cause, do, make
Narrower terms: dispose, incline, indispose, disincline, miscreate, carry weight, decide, reshape, time, index, pace, predetermine
verb
Meaning 8
bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- We cannot regulate the way people dress
- This town likes to regulate
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: regularize, regularise, order, govern
Antonyms: deregulate
Broader terms: decide, make up one's mind, determine
Narrower terms: standardize, standardise, zone, district
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin regulatus, perfect passive participle of regulō (“to direct, rule, regulate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from regula (“rule”), from regō (“to keep straight, direct, govern, rule”). Compare regle, rail. Displaced native Old English metegian.
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: ضَبَطَ (ḍabaṭa) — adjust
- Armenian: կարգավորել (kargavorel) — adjust
- Bulgarian: регулирам (reguliram) — adjust
- Chinese Mandarin: 調節 /调节 (tiáojié) — adjust
- Czech: regulovat — adjust
- Dutch: regelen — adjust
- Finnish: säätää — adjust
- French: régler — adjust
- German: regeln — adjust
- German: regulieren — adjust
- Ancient Greek: κανονίζω (kanonízō) — adjust
- Hungarian: irányít — adjust
- Hungarian: szabályoz — adjust
- Italian: regolare — adjust
- Italian: registrare — adjust
- Italian: tarare — adjust
- Japanese: 調節する (chōsetsu suru) — adjust
- Korean: 규정하다 (gyujeong-hada) — adjust
- Old English: metegian — adjust
- Portuguese: regular — adjust
- Romanian: regula — adjust
- Russian: регули́ровать (regulírovatʹ) — adjust
- Russian: отрегули́ровать (otregulírovatʹ) — adjust
- Lower Sorbian: regulowaś — adjust
- Lower Sorbian: regulěrowaś — adjust
- Spanish: regular — adjust
- Swedish: reglera — adjust
- Turkish: regüle etmek — adjust
- Spanish: reglamentar — control
Real reading context