Origin: Latin suffix -ory
Regulatory has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
Of or pertaining to regulation.
"The regulatory framework has changed again, so we need to update our compliance procedures immediately."
In plain English: Regulatory means having to do with rules and laws that control how things are done.
"The new regulatory agency will oversee safety standards for all food products."
Usage: Use regulatory when describing rules, agencies, or processes that enforce compliance with laws and standards. This adjective is often confused with the noun regulator but specifically modifies things related to government oversight rather than mechanical devices.
Derived from Latin regulatorius, this adjective comes from regula (rule) and means pertaining to or established by rules. It entered English in the mid-19th century with the original sense of being designed to regulate or control something according to a standard.