reg·u·late

[reg-yuh-leyt]
verb (used with object), reg·u·lat·ed, reg·u·lat·ing.
1.
to control or direct by a rule, principle, method, etc.: to regulate household expenses.
2.
to adjust to some standard or requirement, as amount, degree, etc.: to regulate the temperature.
3.
to adjust so as to ensure accuracy of operation: to regulate a watch.
4.
to put in good order: to regulate the digestion.

Origin:
1620–30; < Late Latin rēgulātus (past participle of rēgulāre). See regula, -ate1

reg·u·la·tive [reg-yuh-ley-tiv, -yuh-luh-tiv] , reg·u·la·to·ry [reg-yuh-luh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] , adjective
reg·u·la·tive·ly, adverb
an·ti·reg·u·la·to·ry, adjective
mis·reg·u·late, verb (used with object), mis·reg·u·lat·ed, mis·reg·u·lat·ing.
non·reg·u·lat·ed, adjective
non·reg·u·la·tive, adjective
non·reg·u·la·to·ry, adjective
o·ver·reg·u·late, verb, o·ver·reg·u·lat·ed, o·ver·reg·u·lat·ing.
pre·reg·u·late, verb (used with object), pre·reg·u·lat·ed, pre·reg·u·lat·ing.
qua·si-reg·u·lat·ed, adjective
re·reg·u·late, verb (used with object), re·reg·u·lat·ed, re·reg·u·lat·ing.
un·reg·u·lat·ed, adjective
un·reg·u·la·tive, adjective
un·reg·u·la·to·ry, adjective
well-reg·u·lat·ed, adjective


1. rule, govern, manage, order, adjust, arrange, dispose, conduct. 2. set. 4. systematize.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
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World English Dictionary
regulate (ˈrɛɡjʊˌleɪt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  to adjust (the amount of heat, sound, etc, of something) as required; control
2.  to adjust (an instrument or appliance) so that it operates correctly
3.  to bring into conformity with a rule, principle, or usage
 
[C17: from Late Latin rēgulāre to control, from Latin rēgula a ruler]
 
'regulative
 
adj
 
'regulatory
 
adj
 
'regulatively
 
adv

regulate (ˈrɛɡjʊˌleɪt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
vb
1.  to adjust (the amount of heat, sound, etc, of something) as required; control
2.  to adjust (an instrument or appliance) so that it operates correctly
3.  to bring into conformity with a rule, principle, or usage
 
[C17: from Late Latin rēgulāre to control, from Latin rēgula a ruler]
 
'regulative
 
adj
 
'regulatory
 
adj
 
'regulatively
 
adv

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

regulate
c.1630, from L.L. regulatus, pp. of regulare "to control by rule, direct" (5c.), from L. regula "rule" (see regular). Regulation is first recorded 1672, "act of regulating;" sense of "rule for management" is first attested 1715. Regulator is first recorded 1655; in Eng.
history, with a capital R-, "member of a commission appointed in 1687 to manage county elections." In U.S. history, applied to local posses that kept order (or disturbed it) in rural regions c.1767-71. Meaning "clock by which other timepieces are set" is attested from 1758.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

regulate reg·u·late (rěg'yə-lāt')
v. reg·u·lat·ed, reg·u·lat·ing, reg·u·lates

  1. To control or direct according to rule, principle, or law.

  2. To adjust to a particular specification or requirement.

  3. To adjust a mechanism for accurate and proper functioning.

  4. To put or maintain in order.


reg'u·la'tive or reg'u·la·to'ry (-lə-tôr'ē) adj.
reg'u·la'tor n.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Example sentences
To see why it is necessary, start by looking at the regulatory options for
  networks from a politician's point of view.
My efforts to usher new techniques into the field have been accepted by my
  peers, but not by many in the regulatory world.
The company's history can serve as a quintessential example of regulatory
  failure.
One of the first tasks of the single unified body would be to produce a
  coherent regulatory framework for the industry.
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