regulate Hear it!

regulate definition

regu·late (reg′yə lāt′)

transitive verb regulated -·lat′ed, regulating -·lat′·ing

  1. to control, direct, or govern according to a rule, principle, or system
  2. to adjust to a particular standard, rate, degree, amount, etc. regulate the heat
  3. to adjust (a clock, etc.) so as to make operate accurately
  4. to make uniform, methodical, orderly, etc.

Etymology: < LL regulatus, pp. of regulare, to rule, regulate < L regula, a rule

Related Forms:

  • regulative reg′u·la′·tive (-lāt′iv, -lə tiv) adjective
  • regulatory reg′u·la·to′ry (-lə tôr′ē) adjective

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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