regulation

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. The act of regulating or the state of being regulated.
2. n. A principle, rule, or law designed to control or govern conduct.
3. n. A governmental order having the force of law. Also called executive order.
4. n. Embryology The capacity of an embryo to continue normal development following injury to or alteration of a structure.
5. n. Sports The standard playing period for a timed game, prior to overtime or a shootout.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The act of regulating, or the state of being regulated or reduced to order.
2. n. A rule or order prescribed by a superior or competent authority as to the actions of those under its control; a governing direction; precept; law: as, police regulations; more specifically, a rule prescribed by a municipality, corporation, or society for the conduct of third persons dealing with it, as distinguished from
3. n. bylaw, a term which is generally used rather with reference to the standing rules governing its own internal organization and the conduct of its officers and members, and
4. n. ordinance, which is generally used in the United States for the local legislation of municipalities.
5. n. In musical instruments with a keyboard, the act or process of adjusting the action so that it shall be noiseless, prompt, and sensitive to every variation of touch.
6. n. Synonyms Disposition, ordering, adjustment.
7. n. Ordinance, Statute, etc. See law.
8. Having a fixed or regulated pattern or style; in accord with a rule or standard.
9. To bring under regulations; cause to conform to rules.
10. n. In biology, readjustment which restores the completeness of the whole in a part that has been removed from the body of an organism or in an organism that has lost part of its body.

Wiktionary

1. n. The act of regulating or the condition of being regulated.
2. n. A law or administrative rule, issued by an organization, used to guide or prescribe the conduct of members of that organization.
3. adj. In conformity with applicable rules and regulations.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. The act of regulating, or the state of being regulated.
2. n. A rule or order prescribed for management or government; prescription; a regulating principle; a governing direction; precept; law.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. an authoritative rule
2. n. a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
3. n. (embryology) the ability of an early embryo to continue normal development after its structure has been somehow damaged or altered
4. n. the state of being controlled or governed
5. adj. prescribed by or according to regulation
6. n. the act of bringing to uniformity; making regular
7. n. the act of controlling or directing according to rule