# regulation

/ˌɹɛɡjəˈɫeɪʃən/ (US) · /ɹˌɛɡjuːlˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/regulation
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. an official rule

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

an official rule or law that says how something should be done.

For teachers: a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority, often to govern conduct within a specific industry or organization.

- New safety regulations require all workers to wear helmets on the building site.
- The government introduced stricter environmental regulations to limit the amount of toxic waste factories can legally discharge into the river system.

### 2. the act of controlling

noun · CEFR B2 · Academic

the act of controlling an activity or process by using rules.

For teachers: the process of monitoring and controlling an industry or activity through the application of rules and principles.

- The regulation of the banking industry helps protect people's money.
- Effective regulation of the telecommunications market ensures that no single company can establish a monopoly and inflate prices for consumers.

### 3. biological control

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the way a living thing controls its internal processes, like body temperature.

For teachers: the physiological or molecular mechanisms that maintain homeostasis or control gene expression within an organism.

- The body's regulation of blood sugar is very important for your health.
- The study focuses on the epigenetic regulation of specific genes during the early stages of embryonic development.

### 4. standard or required

adjective · CEFR B2

following the official rules or being the standard type.

For teachers: prescribed by or conforming to official rules; often used to describe required equipment or clothing.

- He was wearing the regulation uniform for the private school.
- The athlete was disqualified because her equipment did not meet the regulation size specified in the tournament handbook.

## Examples

- The new safety regulation requires everyone to wear a helmet.
- The government introduced a strict regulation to limit the amount of plastic waste that factories can produce each year.
- While the industry initially resisted government oversight, the new regulation eventually provided a stable framework that encouraged long-term investment by reducing legal uncertainty.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.