Other forms: regulated, regulating, regulates
To regulate is to control something with official rules. Regulate the industry, tightly regulated, regulate the temperature.
In government it means setting and enforcing rules for an activity, and who regulates what is one of the standing arguments in politics. In the body and in machines it means keeping something steady: regulate body temperature, a voltage regulator. Note regulator, regulation; and that the Latin means to direct by a rule, from regula, which also gives ruler and rule.
1verbregulateTo control something with official rules.
“The government plans to regulate the use of drones near airports and schools.”
2verbkeepTo keep something steady.
“The body regulates temperature within roughly one degree.”
regulate is a controlling by rules.
Latin regulare comes from regula, a straight stick or rule, from regere, to direct. Rule, ruler, rectangle and regime come from the same straightness.
Proto-Indo-European
*h₃reǵ-
Latin
regulatus
English, today
regulate
Built from
Borrowed from Latin regulatus, perfect passive participle of regulō (“to direct, rule, regulate”) (see -ate), from regula (“rule”), from regō (“to keep straight, direct, govern, rule”). Compare regle, rail. Displaced native metegian.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA