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

Parents can take part, too, modeling self-regulation skills by doing each of these exercises alongside their child. —Taylor Grothe, Parents, 10 Dec. 2024

This suggests that its prosocial nature supports better health outcomes indirectly by fostering self-regulation and ethical decision-making. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

This study of industry self-regulation has not been and will not be done in a vacuum. —Eric Reicin, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024

Help Your Child Practice Self-Regulation All young children need adult coaching and repetitive practice to develop self-regulation and impulse control skills. —Emily Edlynn, Parents, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above