Standard Lemma guide

regulation

adj · noun · 15 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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.

  • /ˌɹɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R EH2 G Y AH0 L EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

In conformity with applicable rules and regulations.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of regulating or the condition of being regulated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A law or administrative rule, issued by an organization, used to guide or prescribe the conduct of members of that organization.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Examples

  • Army regulations state a soldier AWOL over 30 days is a deserter.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A type of law made by the executive branch of a government, usually as authorized by a statute made by the legislative branch giving the executive the authority to do so.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, in-plural, often, uncountable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A type of law made by the executive branch of a government, usually as authorized by a statute made by the legislative branch giving the executive the authority to do so.

A numbered provision within such kind of legislation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, in-plural, often, singular

Topics: law

Examples

  • Regulation 18B of the Defence (General) Regulations 1939 (S.R. & O. 1939/927) authorized the British government to intern suspected spies and collaborators during World War II.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A form of legislative act which is self-effecting, and requires no further intervention by the Member States to become law.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: European-Union, countable, uncountable

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Mechanism controlling DNA transcription.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, genetics, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Physiological process which consists in maintaining homoeostasis.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

prescribed by or according to regulation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • regulation army equipment

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

the act of controlling or directing according to rule

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • fiscal regulations are in the hands of politicians

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: regulating

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: control

Narrower terms: devaluation, gun control, indexation, timing, limitation, restriction

11

noun

Meaning 11

the act of bringing to uniformity; making regular

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: regularization, regularisation

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: control

12

noun

Meaning 12

a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it was his rule to take a walk before breakfast
  • short haircuts were the regulation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rule

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: concept, conception, construct

Narrower terms: restriction, limitation, guidepost, guideline, rule of thumb, cy pres, rule of cy pres, cy pres doctrine, working principle, working rule

13

noun

Meaning 13

an authoritative rule

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ordinance

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rule, prescript

Narrower terms: game law, age limit, assize, speed limit

14

noun

Meaning 14

(embryology) the ability of an early embryo to continue normal development after its structure has been somehow damaged or altered

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: organic process, biological process

15

noun

Meaning 15

the state of being controlled or governed

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dominance, ascendance, ascendence, ascendancy, ascendency, control

History

Etymology

From regulate + -ion.

Across languages

Translations

117 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: регулация (regulacija) — act or condition
  • Finnish: sääntely — act or condition
  • German: Regeln — act or condition
  • Greek: ρύθμιση (rýthmisi) — act or condition
  • Hungarian: szabályozás — act or condition
  • Hungarian: irányítás — act or condition
  • Hungarian: vezérlés — act or condition
  • Hungarian: beállítás — act or condition
  • Hungarian: beszabályozás — act or condition
  • Hungarian: beigazítás — act or condition
  • Italian: regola — act or condition
  • Japanese: 規制 (kisei) — act or condition
  • Old English: metegung — act or condition
  • Polish: regulacja — act or condition
  • Romanian: reglare — act or condition
  • Romanian: regulă — act or condition
  • Sanskrit: विधान (vidhāna) — act or condition
  • Tagalog: alituntunin — act or condition
  • Turkish: regülasyon — act or condition
  • Ukrainian: регулювання (rehuljuvannja) — act or condition
  • Arabic: تَنْظِيم (tanẓīm) — law or administrative rule
  • Armenian: կանոնակարգ (kanonakarg) — law or administrative rule
  • Armenian: կարգավորում (kargavorum) — law or administrative rule
  • Bulgarian: правило (pravilo) — law or administrative rule
  • Bulgarian: предписание (predpisanie) — law or administrative rule
  • Bulgarian: регламент (reglament) — law or administrative rule
  • Chinese Cantonese: 規例 /规例 (kwai1 lai6) — law or administrative rule
  • Chinese Mandarin: 規則 /规则 (guīzé) — law or administrative rule
  • Chinese Mandarin: 規例 /规例 (guīlì) — law or administrative rule
  • Czech: nařízení — law or administrative rule
  • Dutch: reglement — law or administrative rule
  • Dutch: verordening — law or administrative rule
  • Esperanto: regulo — law or administrative rule
  • Estonian: määrus — law or administrative rule
  • Finnish: sääntö — law or administrative rule
  • Finnish: ohjesääntö — law or administrative rule
  • Finnish: järjestyssääntö — law or administrative rule
  • French: règlement — law or administrative rule
  • French: réglementation — law or administrative rule
  • Georgian: რეგულაცია (regulacia) — law or administrative rule
  • Georgian: დირექტივა (direkṭiva) — law or administrative rule
  • Georgian: წესი (c̣esi) — law or administrative rule
  • Georgian: ნორმა (norma) — law or administrative rule
  • Georgian: მართვა (martva) — law or administrative rule
  • Georgian: რეგლამენტაცია (reglamenṭacia) — law or administrative rule
  • Georgian: მოწესრიგება (moc̣esrigeba) — law or administrative rule
  • German: Regelung — law or administrative rule
  • German: Regulativ — law or administrative rule
  • German: Bestimmung — law or administrative rule
  • Greek: κανονισμός (kanonismós) — law or administrative rule
  • Hindi: विनियम (viniyam) — law or administrative rule
  • Hungarian: előírás — law or administrative rule
  • Hungarian: szabály — law or administrative rule
  • Hungarian: szabályozás — law or administrative rule
  • Hungarian: rendszabály — law or administrative rule
  • Hungarian: rendelkezés — law or administrative rule
  • Hungarian: szabvány — law or administrative rule
  • Hungarian: szabályzat — law or administrative rule
  • Icelandic: reglugerð — law or administrative rule
  • Indonesian: regulasi — law or administrative rule
  • Indonesian: peraturan — law or administrative rule
  • Irish: rialachán — law or administrative rule
  • Italian: regolamento — law or administrative rule
  • Japanese: 規則 (kisóku) — law or administrative rule
  • Korean: 규칙 (gyuchik) — law or administrative rule
  • Latin: praescriptum — law or administrative rule
  • Māori: rekureihana — law or administrative rule
  • Navajo: bee hazʼáanii — law or administrative rule
  • Norwegian: regulering — law or administrative rule
  • Old English: metegung — law or administrative rule
  • Polish: przepis — law or administrative rule
  • Portuguese: regulamento — law or administrative rule
  • Romanian: reglementare — law or administrative rule
  • Romanian: regulament — law or administrative rule
  • Russian: уста́в (ustáv) — law or administrative rule
  • Russian: пра́вило (právilo) — law or administrative rule
  • Russian: регла́мент (regláment) — law or administrative rule
  • Russian: предписа́ние (predpisánije) — law or administrative rule
  • Sanskrit: विधान (vidhāna) — law or administrative rule
  • Spanish: reglamento — law or administrative rule
  • Swedish: reglering — law or administrative rule
  • Tagalog: alituntunin — law or administrative rule
  • Turkish: düzenleme — law or administrative rule
  • Vietnamese: chế độ — law or administrative rule
  • Armenian: կանոնակարգ (kanonakarg) — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Bulgarian: регла́мент (regláment) — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Czech: nařízení — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Danish: forordning — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Dutch: verordening — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Estonian: määrus — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Finnish: asetus — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • French: règlement — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Georgian: რეგულაცია (regulacia) — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • German: Verordnung — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Greek: κανονισμός (kanonismós) — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Hungarian: rendelet — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Irish: riail — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Italian: regolamento — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Latvian: regula — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Lithuanian: reglamentas — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Maltese: regolament — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Polish: rozporządzenie — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Portuguese: regulamento — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Romanian: regulament — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Romanian: reglementare — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Serbo-Croatian: uredba — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Slovak: nariadenie — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • Swedish: förordning — EU: self-effecting legislative act
  • French: régulation — mechanism controlling DNA transcription
  • Italian: regolazione — mechanism controlling DNA transcription
  • Portuguese: regulação — mechanism controlling DNA transcription
  • Spanish: regulación — mechanism controlling DNA transcription
  • French: régulation — physiological process maintaining homœostasis
  • Italian: regolazione — physiological process maintaining homœostasis
  • Northern Kurdish: rêkxistin — physiological process maintaining homœostasis
  • Portuguese: regulação — physiological process maintaining homœostasis
  • Spanish: regulación — physiological process maintaining homœostasis
Real reading context

regulation in complete knowledge articles