self-regulation

noun

self-reg·​u·​la·​tion ˌself-ˌre-gyə-ˈlā-shən 

-ˌre-gə-,

 also  -ˌrā-

plural self-regulations

: the act or condition or an instance of regulating oneself or itself: such as

a

: control or supervision from within instead of by an external authority

the online marketing industry's self-regulation of consumer privacy protections

also : a rule imposed in self-regulation

Banks were left to largely manage themselves, and establish industry-wide self-regulations …

—Kevin Plummer

According to the Federal Trade Commission, food marketing cannot be false, deceptive or unfair. But there are other, more specific, self-regulations out there for ads related to kids.

—Alexandra Sifferlin

b

: the bringing of oneself or itself into a state of order, method, or uniformity

self-regulation of an ecosystem

emotional self-regulation

Examples of self-regulation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those who suffer from PPD may be less responsive to their children's cognitive and emotional needs, which can affect healthy development and the capacity for self-regulation. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025

But there's no way to fast-forward to self-regulation, Perepa said, and parents shouldn't expect their babies and toddlers to know how to calm down on their own just because a Zoom call is in session. —Madeline Mitchell, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025

Democratic parents work to model self-regulation and self-expression, as well as self-care. —Miranda Rake, Parents, 14 Mar. 2025

Kids in the program usually show noticeable improvements in their social interactions, including better cooperation, self-regulation, and emotional expression. —Rachelle Rutherford, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for self-regulation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration